NIKE SHINES IN SANDTON

Nike’s first retail shop in South Africa – and in the continent – opened in Sandton in February this year with a tempting array of Nike products emphasizing the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Electrosonic SA was asked to supply a range of Flos Architectural fittings for the installation.

The store carries the complete Nike Football collection, including Nike's four-silo boot wall, team kits, international and local team replica, as well as supporter wear and football accessories. Products can be customized with silk screen printing and embroidery for customers while they wait – either in the ‘Players Lounge’ VIP area or while participating in one the many interactive services available, such as Nike Football+ service - a digital football experience that gives exclusive content and professional tips to players to help master their game.

Creating the new Nike store was a 2 phase project which involved first transforming a former restaurant in Sandton into a temporary shop to cater for the Christmas trade over December last year. The temporary shop used only a portion of the entire available space, but lighting was required in both phases, with fittings installed in the temporary shop re-used in the final, larger retail space

In turning the space into an attractive and inviting retail outlet, a challenge for the lighting designers was a very low ceiling. The final lighting design, by British company Lightworks, called for a track system with 150mh Flos spotlights to highlight the various items on display. The Flos units are top class fittings with fantastic light output and optical qualities.