The new Serena Williams Building (SW) is the largest office building at Nike’s Oregon headquarters, covering the equivalent of 140 tennis courts (approximately 93,000 square meters). It is also where Nike’s Consumer Creation teams, representing Design, Consumer Insights, Women’s, Men’s and Kids Constructs, and Apparel and Footwear Product Merchandising, have access to 18,500 square meters of lab space to test new ideas for developing, presenting and marketing Nike products.
“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,” commented Serena Williams.
SW was designed by Portland-based Skylab Architecture in collaboration with Mark Parker, executive chairman of Nike. “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, chief design officer.
Specialty areas in the SW include 13,000 square meters of exhibit and workspaces, a footwear materials library, a color lab and the two-story, 140-seat Olympia Theater, named for Serena’s daughter. The workspaces are designed to inspire each workgroup and are filled with stories about athletes, sports, innovation and Nike culture. Immersive spaces with wraparound 180-degree projection allow Nike teams to visualize data in entirely new ways and bring products to life at a new scale.
Complementing SW’s attention to shaping the future is its attention to protecting the planet. More than 20 percent of SW, which is LEED Platinum certified, is made from recycled materials harvested and manufactured on-site. The building is equipped with 648 solar panels, resulting in an expected energy cost savings of 41 percent compared to a baseline building. In addition, the building is located next to a federally protected wetland, and its design preserves and complements the environment with thousands of native plant species.
You can virtually explore the new Serena Williams Building here.
