Adidas Flagship, NYC

With its enormous stadium-inspired NYC flagship – its largest in the world – Adidas has kicked off an opportunity to bring its love of soccer and sports to a crowd of sell-out proportions.

Designed by adidas with Checkland Kindleysides and Gensler to resemble the look and feel of high school sports stadiums, the four-storey space has a raw underground aesthetic that captures the experience of the locker room, the bleachers and gruelling training sessions.

Gensler and Checkland’s gritty high school stadium-inspired design immerses visitors in the world of sports.

Overhead neon lighting is shaped into the lines of basketball courts, while wire mesh and steel dividers speak to training cages and pre-game crowds. Stadium seating fills the front of the store, and a concrete tunnel entrance recreates the march on to the field.

Visitors emerge into a gritty space where football, basketball, athletic and skateboarding products are sparsely and eye-catchingly arranged, with plenty of moments for interaction. A 360 VR experience explores the story of a new sneaker, a Run Genie provides gait analysis and shoe recommendations, and track and field areas allow visitors to throw on a pair of cleats and test their ball-handling skills. To try on clothing, visitors head to the ‘locker rooms’.

Guests can personalize the merchandise at t-shirt printing and shoe customization booths, and can order and pay for products on the spot using the store’s integrated POS system. A kiosk offers healthy juices and fitness consultations, and a same-day hotel delivery service means you’ll have your game gear ready to go.

Vast, immersive and following hot on Nike’s heels, it’s the company’s way of saying ‘game on’.