NIKE EHQ Campus - Homecourt Arena
The NIKE EMEA headquarters campus is located in the heart of the Arena business park in Hilversum. Currently, the campus buildings and landscape are undergoing a transformation reflecting NIKE’s ambitions to be a dynamic, energetic workspace for more than 3,700 employees from over 80 countries. The landscape plays a crucial role in this. From 2020 onwards, Bureau B+B urbanism and landscape architecture is working on the transformation of the NIKE EMEA campus. Inspired by the rich nature of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the campus is being developed into a landscape campus full of sports and leisure activities.
Homecourt is the first public space that is completed as part of the new campus.
The location originally was a bare and vacant lot connecting east and west, characterized by unclear routing and buildings turning their backs on the space.
The first step in the process was to clear the square of car traffic and defining the
future boulevard, on which Homecourt is an important nodal point. The square
is designed as a ‘forest on the heather', uncovering the lost connecting with the
underlying landscape. The result is a hybrid between a landscape and a square;
shaded and sunny, open and closed, quiet and active. The square itself and all
objects on it are completely skateable.
The a dedicated skate area, designed by F31, contains an abstracted wave - the
Aalto loop – as its main eye-catcher. On the square there is space for events and
food trucks. It is the ultimate meeting spot for employees who get their lunch in
the afternoon in the shade of the trees. The difference in height between the
square and the east side of campus is bridged by an tribune-staircase, which can
be used as a seating area, stairs and skate spot. The large format tiles are unique
in size and composition; the color and pebbles give a sandy look to the square.
More than 90 new trees have been planted in various types, sizes and forms. The
pavement has a partly perforated pattern, so that vegetation can grow underneath
the trees. Three large, mature trees act as eye-catchers on the square. Homecourt
has become a high-quality meeting spot for the campus users as well as for the
local community.
