John Hoke, the Chief Design Officer, said that the design of the building is a way to show how much Williams meant to him.
When Nike unveiled its largest office building in Oregon on Wednesday, they named it after Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam winner. This is the first time Nike has done this.
It’s a 1 million-square-foot building that’s the size of 140 full-size tennis courts. It will house Nike’s design teams and have 140,000 square feet of showrooms and work spaces. It also has a theatre with 140 seats named after Williams’ daughter, Olympia.
Asked in a press release: “The whole building takes your breath away.” Williams, who is 40, said that. “All of the things you see and do are chances to be inspired. If this building makes people want to be their best selves and think bigger than they thought possible, that’s what I want for it!”
Williams’ “history as a catalyst for positive change,” according to Chief Architecture Officer John Hoke, is reflected in the design of the building.
According to Hoke, “architecture has historically served as a creative stimulus for Nike.” “Serena’s legacy as a force for positive change is embodied in this structure, which is a manifestation of form and function that follows her footprint. It is the fine art that complements the science of the LeBron James Innovation Center, allowing us to better understand and assist athletes than ever before.”
Williams expressed her gratitude on social media, specifically Instagram.
“When I was a kid, I went to the Nike campus and was amazed to see that sportsmen had their own buildings! When I returned home, I knew there were two things I wanted in life: to be a Nike athlete and to have my own building “She wrote about it in her blog post.
“I set myself lofty objectives. I was well aware that I would have to be elite, and not only the best, but also someone who could alter the path of sports history. And now we’ve arrived at the Serena building on the Nike property, which has been officially unveiled. There have been numerous trophies won through blood, sweat, and tears – it is an incredible honour that gives me goosebumps. Nike and the Nike staff have done a fantastic job for me. Is it possible to believe it? Everyone, I have a BUILDING!!! This is so insane!!!
Serena Williams’ legacy has already been established, since she has won the most Grand Slam singles titles (23) of any athlete during the open era. But her accomplishments are now etched in stone – literally.
The Serena Williams facility, which will be located on the Nike World Headquarters complex in Beaverton, Oregon, is expected to open this week.
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The 1 million square foot structure is the largest on campus, according to Nike, and covers the equivalent of 140 full-size tennis courts. The building will house Nike’s consumer development team, which will bring fresh ideas to life and “create the future of sport,” with 140,000 square feet of showrooms, a colour lab, materials library, and a 140-seat Olympia Theater named after Williams’ daughter.
Williams claims that achieving this goal has been a lifelong ambition of hers.
“I visited the Nike campus when I was a youngster, and I witnessed that athletes receive buildings,” she said on Instagram on Wednesday morning. “I knew I wanted two things after that visit: to be a Nike athlete and to own a building.”
Williams, 40, told her 14.6 million Instagram followers that owning her own building is “beyond an honour,” adding that seeing the product of her “blood, sweat, and many tears” gave her chills.
According to Architectural Digest, the Serena Williams facility was built to encourage a more coherent and collaborative work atmosphere, with design teams working in a single, integrated environment.
“Now, Nike design teams can consider a product from its original concept through product development and through how it retails in a store, all in a single structure,” said Jeff Kovel, principal design director at Skylab, the firm that developed the building.
Only a few female athletes have buildings named after them on campus, notably Mia Hamm, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in soccer, and Joan Benoit Samuelson, an Olympic gold medallist in long-distance running.
From 1987 through 2004, Hamm was a forward for the United States national women’s soccer team. She won two FIFA World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999, in addition to her two Olympic gold medals. The 449,060 square foot building bearing her name was completed in 2000.
In 1984, Benoit Samuelson competed in the first-ever Olympic marathon for women, which she won. She held the American record for fastest woman in the Chicago Marathon for 32 years after achieving her sixth first-place finish.
The year 2022 has been a watershed moment for Williams, as her biographical drama film “King Richard,” about herself and her family, got six Academy Award nominations and won the Oscar for best actor.
She hopes the new Serena Williams building has the same influence on others as it does on her.
“The entire structure takes your breath away. Every aspect is an opportunity to be inspired, no matter where you travel. “I hope that this skyscraper inspires individuals to be their best selves and to dream larger than they ever imagined,” she told Nike.
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