The milestone of a star is to find a place to place all his successes and successes where they serve as a reference, so it’s time to congratulate LeBron James.
In July 2020 we showed you the incredible Nike Campus, and how they have been increasing it with excellent buildings dedicated to the development of the best sport. As a strategy, each building that is built on the Campus, as well as each unique element, is assigned the name of a star. An athlete who perpetuates the values that the brand has to offer. At the end of the article we showed you an infographic of the next building to be built: The LeBron James Innovation Center.
We already know good old LeBron James, especially his sporting exploits, and Nike, which signed him before entering the NBA, and even financed an animated series, called The LeBrons, between the years 2011-2014. Now, the new sports center that bears his name promises to bring more innovation to the world of sports, using the criteria that have provided such good results for years.
Its enormous overhang draws attention
The shape of the building promises an orderly and multipurpose interior. Its exterior awes and inspires the visitor, both because of the enormous spectacle of a strong cantilever at its entrance, above 15 meters, and what is, without a doubt, the star of the design. It is a 100-meter inclined outdoor track, which ends in a green space. This allows athletes who arrive there to breathe the purest air.
The complex has more than 65,000 square meters built, and up to 700 employees work there, who, until the moment of its creation, were «dispersed» throughout the campus, which gives us an idea of the enormity of the Nike Campus and of the need to bring innovation teams together in one place, to increase their effectiveness (or efficiency). And the philosophy is to encourage the cross-pollination of ideas (in other words, together we create more and better).
A building created by star materials
The “inverted L” shaped floor plan holds some surprises. The first is a huge central atrium, with four floors, which visually communicates almost the entire property. They easily bring together spaces for leisure (or social interaction), while also indicating how to orient yourself in the rest of the building. Orient yourself to reach, for example, the indoor basketball court, or the partial soccer field that is located between its four walls.
The structure of the building, as it could not be otherwise, is made with star materials. It has powerful reinforced concrete elements, such as coffered slabs. They reveal their reticular weave in honor of the iconic pattern of Nike’s first shoes. It also has metal covers, with fronts made of the same material, elements that allow easy execution, great durability and a more than appropriate aesthetic.
His mother was the most influential person for LeBron James
Inside, the work spaces, while possible, do not escape visibility, remaining exposed to allow interaction with any member of the team, encouraging the exchange of ideas. In honor of the player, his milestones are reflected throughout the place. There’s even a color map of his career in the lobby. In it you can see the shots (the successes and errors) that led him to achieve 30,000 points.
An extensive mosaic pays tribute to his mother, Gloria James. She raised her son alone, and knew how to encourage him to fight for his goals, perhaps the most influential person in the athlete’s career. There is also a shelf with the shoes that LeBron has used, designed by Jason Petrie, a winning team, without a doubt. Two other nods to the athlete are found on the outside, with his three-dimensional logo and a bronze statue with his figure, ready for his fans to take selfies.
A building with passive ventilation
The architectural firm that created the building is called Olson Kundig, led by Tom Kundig. They have created an efficient and sustainable building, which has become the largest LEED-NC v2009 Platinum building in the state of Oregon. This is thanks to the application of passive ventilation and natural lighting, the installation of 900 photovoltaic panels, the use of local and durable materials, collection and use of water, etc.
The floor plan of the building is so large that there are several entrances to it. Inside, the zones are divided according to needs, housing floors one to three offices, meeting rooms, design studios and social areas. On the top floor, there is the Nike Sport Research Lab, the laboratory itself, and the company’s data center to develop all its products.
Natural lighting in all parts of the building
Of course, glass also forms an important part of the LeBron James Innovation Center, with its strategic position between the exterior metal elements, the black steel meshes, in fact, the building is so long, the designer included up to six elevated parts on the roof, which he completed with glass, allowing natural lighting to filter into the last corner of the complex.
Finally, the flooring of the research laboratory is made with a very special material, Nike Grind, which is made of recycled rubber elements of the best quality, a material that allows high traffic without wearing out, being odorless and, very importantly, non-slip. being humid, obviously, a perfect place where sports stars can leave their sweat for the sake of innovation. Long live center LeBron James.