When Nike began planning the design of its New York HQ, it envisioned a place that explores sport through the lens of New York City. It commissioned a team of creative collaborators to deck out the six-floor, 150,000-square-foot space in midtown Manhattan, completed in 2017. Brooklyn creative studio WSDIA (an acronym for its slogan, “We Should Do It All”) was part of the crew, and complemented the design concept with environmental graphics that bring sports stories to life in subtle and striking ways. Larger-than-life signage directs visitors to each floor, while a corridor of custom wall tiles finished in satin lacquer honors the spirit of the game. Floor patterns feature marks informed by basketball court lines and New York City bridges. In the second floor basketball court, exposed-aluminum strips dissect polished wood bleachers to reflect the interplay inherent to its design. At once streetwise and sleek, the project is difficult to pigeonhole—much like WSDIA itself. The firm specializes in not specializing, utilizing graphic, spatial, experiential, and interactive expertise as a means to create unexpected results. In this project, WSDIA underscored a real affinity for its long-time client, activating the brand across multiple dimensions to turn an idea into a living story.
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