Serena William’s impact both on and off the court cannot be denied. This is why Nike recently unveiled a 1-million-square-foot building dedicated to the 23-time Grand Slam champion. The Serena Williams Building (SW) spans the equivalent of 140 full-size tennis courts—making it the largest office building at Nike World Headquarters in Oregon.
More About Nike’s Serena Williams Building
“Architecture has long been a creative catalyst for Nike. A manifestation of form and function following [its] footprint, this building embodies Serena’s legacy as a force for positive change,” John Hoke (Nike’s Chief Design Officer) said in a press release.
SW is home to Nike’s Consumer Creation teams. These teams have access to 200,000 square feet of lab space to conceptualize and develop new products for the sportswear giant. Plus, this is where they’ll continue to collaborate and innovate the future of sport.
In addition, additional architectural features within SW include the following:
-140,000 square feet of showrooms and workspace
-A footwear materials library
-Color lab
-A 2-story, 140-seat Olympia Theater, named after Serena’s daughter
Most importantly, the building also prioritizes sustainability in many different aspects of its design. Firstly, with its LEED Platinum certification and 648 solar panels installed in the building.
Also, more than 20 percent of SW is made from locally harvested and manufactured recycled materials. Furthermore, SW sits next to a federally protected wetland and its unique design aims to protect the environment by utilizing thousands of native plant species.
“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 to dream bigger than they thought possible,” Williams said in the press release.
Take a Virtual Tour of SW
See many of the amazing features in SW by visiting SerenaWilliamsBuilding.nike.com.
