At the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, a building has been named after one of the greatest athletes of all time, Serena Williams.
According to the press release, the Serena Williams Building (SW),designed by Portland-based Skylab Architecture in collaboration with Mark Parker, Executive Chairman of NIKE, Inc., is the largest office building on Nike’s sprawling campus; it is a sprawling 1 million square feet. The edifice incorporates 140,000 square feet of showrooms and workspace; a footwear materials library; a color lab; and a two-story, 140-seat Olympia Theater, named after Williams' daughter.
Additionally, curated workspaces are designed to inspire each working group and are filled with stories about “athletes, sport, innovation, and Nike culture.” 180-degree wraparound visual projection allow the teams at Nike to visualize data in completely new ways and bring product to life at a new scale.
“The whole building takes your breath away,” Williams said in a press release. “Every element, everywhere you go, is an opportunity to be inspired. I hope this building encourages people to bring out the best of themselves and to dream bigger than they thought possible.”
“Architecture has long been a creative catalyst for Nike. A manifestation of form and function following footprint, this building embodies Serena’s legacy as a force for positive change. It is the art to the LeBron James Innovation Center’s science, allowing us to know and serve athletes like never before,” said John Hoke, Nike's Chief Design Officer.
In the press release, the building is described as a "tripartite structure inspired by Serena’s greatness; it references the goddess Nike’s wings and interprets its namesake’s role as a phenom, warrior, and muse," and is Nike’s biggest investment in design and creativity.
You can also take a virtual tour of the phenomenal Serena Williams Building at serenawilliamsbuilding.nike.com.
