NIKE Showroom
A space with a purpose
(The following is taken from case study work I wrote for Jacknife)
A NIKE showroom is a space with a very specific purpose: provide preferred partners a chance to select stock for the upcoming season from tightly curated showcases of soon-to-be released product while preserving the excitement of launch day by allowing access on a strict need-to-know basis. Individual showrooms, connected by a larger common area, are repeatedly dressed, torn down and dressed again to accommodate new collections and product stories tailored to specific audiences.
Michael Jordan showroom, one of four showrooms in the space
This presents a unique challenge when designing a branded environment. How do you balance the desire for a strong brand expression without, quite literally, colouring the constantly evolving narratives of NIKE sub-brands and programs?
The answer lies in a multi-level approach that trades in-your-face application of colour and bold imagery of for what initially appear to be quieter expressions but soon reveal a greater depth and moments of discovery.
Steve Prefontaine logo wall
Detail of left side of Pre's face revealing hundreds of NIKE product logos
The space’s story is built with a high-contrast neutral palette, accented pops of colour and is grounded in authenticity. Rough and raw structures live in close proximity to refined materials and finishes. Lightly-sanded concrete columns sit atop high-gloss polished concrete. An eye-level datum line divides the space and leads visitors into the athlete stories within. Oversized varsity numerals, custom-cut for the space and drawn from the lives of prominent NIKE athletes such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, splash across windows, wrap around door frames and envelope existing structures. Wall treatments that appear to be subtle athlete portraits from a distance, reveal upon closer inspection, a matrix of tens of thousands of NIKE sub-brand logos that inform a history of success now measured in decades.
The execution acknowledges the success of NIKE’s hundreds of individual sub-brands and the cultural impact of its spokespeople, and in doing so, illuminates the environment in a manner that reveals its purpose.
