NikeLab CHI

Located on the top floor of Nike’s flagship store in Chicago, the NikeLab space has been designed as a flexible modular space to accommodate a variety of installations. The space includes a set of hanging display racks and shelves; made from custom stitched nylon and leather straps; and a set of interchangeable uniquely patterned CNC cut wood bars. Loose leather furniture reference abstracted athletic forms; while the large media wall is made from CNC cut painted wood slats. Nike wanted at sustainable design ethos at the heart the concept. The brief called for a sport inspired concept that was modular, adaptive and could move with Nike Lab’s changing needs. The design intent was to develop a concept with the least amount of parts, in as elegant a manner possible to give Nike the tools to curate its Nikelab product stories. The product assortment varied by season, and as such we needed to create a flexible display system that could accommodate a variety of stories, with a variety of products in a variety of configurations. The solution was to create a steel ceiling grid, with a modular hanging system, allowing apparel, accessories and footwear to be displayed in a variety of was with a small set of modular components. Custom stitched Nylon and leather straps supported computer milled timber beams made from a variety of species. The beams could be wall mounted to create a footwear wall, or stacked to create the service desk. Milled rings were created to support single product stories; and floor standing sport inspired seats and plinths made from cork, and recycled nike shoes (regrind) to help support a tiered presentation of product. A large computer milled wall integrated hi resolution screens to display digital content and photography flexibly. The palette was purposefully simple and key to the overall concept. All parts in the space are created through a combination of computer controlled manufacturing and hand finishing. At the heart of the concept are the wood beams, each made from a different species, which are computer milled with parametric patterns developed with reference to Nike’s iconic sole patterns. The beams can be supported by nylon and leather straps with custom stitch patterns; a modular custom table base made from steel; or hung from the wall from simple steel shelf brackets. The straps also support wooden milled rings to tell unique product stories. The seating and plinths are made from laser cut leather, Nike regrind (recycled shoes), and cork. The lighting is led tube lights set into a triangular pattern and hung from the steel ceiling grid. The retail concept attempts to create the most with the least, speaking to the technical innovation inherent in the product without speaking over it while ensuring a flexible and maleable space for that adjusts with changing stories and product assortments.