Nike has unveiled the Serena Williams Building, a one-million-square-foot space at its headquarters in Beaverton, OR. The structure houses 200,000 square feet of lab space for Nike’s Consumer Creation team to “create the future of sport.”
The equivalent of 140 full-size tennis courts, the building is the largest on Nike’s campus.
The LEED Platinum-certified environment includes 140,000 square feet of showrooms and workspace, a footwear materials library, a color lab, and the 140-seat Olympia Theater, named after Williams’ daughter. The building features 648 solar panels, recycled content and resources to help preserve the federally protected wetland next to the structure.
“The whole building takes your breath away. 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 dream bigger than they thought possible,” Serena Williams said.
Skylab, a Portland, OR-based firm, designed the building in collaboration with Mark Parker, executive chairman of Nike, Inc.
“Architecture has long been a creative catalyst for Nike,” said John Hoke, Nike’s chief design officer. “A manifestation of form and function following footprint, this building embodies Serena’s legacy as a force for positive change.”
Other female athletes with buildings named after them on the Nike campus include two-time Olympic gold medalist soccer player Mia Hamm and Olympic gold-medalist and long-distance runner Joan Benoit Samuelson.
Photo courtesy Nike; More imagery is here.
