Two stone IKEA chairs now mark the sunniest spot in Sweden

IKEA has identified Sweden’s sunniest square metre and marked the exact spot with a permanent monument on the island of Gotland.

Working with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), the brand analysed 20 years of solar data to find the patch of ground that has soaked up more sunshine than anywhere else in the country.

Located southwest of Burgsvik on southern Gotland, the site averaged 2,137 sunshine hours a year between 2005 and 2025, close to six hours every day.

It is now home to two stone armchairs modelled on IKEA’s SKARPÖ outdoor chair, designed by Magnus Elebäck, turning a single data point into a destination that sun-seekers can actually travel to and sit on.

Getting from the sunniest region down to one square metre took a second pass. Architect Erik Gardell assessed local slope, exposure and shadowing to fix the precise point.

The project was developed by IKEA Sweden with creative agency NoA Åkestam Holst, the team also behind the brand’s view from a blue bag work and an earlier idea that brought sunshine to shaded Stockholm seating.

“When the sunlight and warmth return after winter, people across Sweden move outdoors. We want to help as many people as possible make the most of life outside,” says Linda Vikström, Communications Manager at IKEA Sweden.