LeBron James Innovation Center in Portland

As with many projects, the expansion of the Nike World Headquarters in Portland (Oregon) has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The new LeBron James Innovation Center was recently opened on the site. It was designed by the architecture firm Olson Kundig from Seattle.

No less than the name of one of the most outstanding contemporary basketball players – LeBron James – adorns the new innovation center. This is currently the latest building on the headquarters site of the sports giant Nike. The latest of around 75 buildings on the site offers approximately 65,000 square meters of floor space. The LeBron James Innovation Center will unite the 700 employees previously scattered across the campus under one roof.

In keeping with Nike’s brand image, the new LeBron James Innovation Center is intended to embody the concept of speed and athleticism. The architects at Olson Kundig chose a moderately futuristic combination of glass and anthracite-colored perforated sheeting for the façade cladding. On the side of the building and its overhanging canopy, the raw-toned waffle panel structure of the mezzanine ceiling is visible from below – a reminiscence of the company’s waffle sole, which was considered an innovative breakthrough in the world of sports shoes in 1972.

Upon entering the LeBron James Innovation Center, visitors find themselves in a central, four-storey atrium. Free of physical barriers and with individual interaction areas and co-working spaces, the building is suitable for the spontaneous exchange of ideas. The interior surfaces of the LeBron James Innovation Center were deliberately left raw and unplastered so as not to give the impression of preciousness anywhere, and there are even all kinds of tree markings in the building that bear witness to the construction process.

Equally functional are the plywood desks, which can also serve as robust maker spaces for prototypes if required. Various energy-saving strategies ensure the sustainability of the building’s operation. The central atrium of the LeBron James Innovation Center allows passive ventilation of the building and also provides it with daylight. Over 900 solar cells on the roof of the Innovation Center supply its entire electricity requirements. In addition, it uses up to 40 percent less water than a similarly sized building thanks to a correspondingly economical sanitary installation.

Speaking of innovation and research architecture: Ilg Santer Architekten designed a 72-metre-high tower made of glass and chrome for the new Biozentrum at the University of Basel.