Nike is taking over the façade of the Centre Pompidou art museum in Paris with a massive sports-themed digital display just in time for the Olympic Games. Located in the center of the city, the iconic 1970s glass-and-metal structure will open Nike’s “Art of Victory” exhibition on July 24, celebrating the journey of Nike Air innovation “at the site that inspired the radical design of the Air Max 1 nearly 40 years ago,” according to the athletic brand.
Nike will transform the Centre Pompidou’s façade into “a canvas that showcases groundbreaking stories of sport in one of Paris’ signature outdoor spaces,” reads a company press release.
Sports stories will unfold in a display that recalls Nike’s 30th anniversary celebration for the Air Max 1 at the Centre Pompidou in 2017. Based on the image, it’s unclear if the signage is LED mesh, projection mapping or another technique. We also don’t know what companies are involved in the fabrication and/or installation of this giant video promo. But the scale alone is pretty impressive.
In addition to the exterior display, a public and skateable sculpture, “Cycloid Piazza” (2024), designed by French artist Raphael Zarka and architect Jean-Benoît Vétillard, will be on site for visitors to experience.
“I think the message of this partnership, for me, is to go ahead and be bold when you have a good idea,” says Tinker Hatfield, who drew inspiration from Pompidou’s inside-out architecture for the visible Air cushioning technology he integrated into the Air Max 1. “Go ahead and take a risk. Be at least a little disruptive so people notice what you’re doing. I think that’s true for the building as well as the Air Max 1. The technology is important, but it’s the act of boldness and being disruptive that made everybody pay attention.”
