Fila Headquarters

Category Workspaces
Year 2016
Location New York, NY
Size 17,000 sq ft

As Fila North America sees a resurgence of its brand, the company outgrew its old office space and asked Mapos to design new headquarters in New York. Mapos went through a detailed programming phase with representatives from each department in Fila and found the company needed to achieve three major objectives with its new office: 1) more office space for its growing staff, 2) an extensive storage solution so they can have thousands of products on hand to increase efficiency, and 3) create memorable and brand-relevant public spaces so all visitors can engage with its history and share in its optimistic vision of the future.

Mapos looked at key design solutions that could perform dual functions. What could solve Fila’s major issue with product storage while simultaneously presenting a memorable brand image? Another strategy was to leverage the existing context of the new space– a full floor in a midtown high-rise with amazing 360 degree views that span the entire New York skyline. The concrete structure of the base building would serve as a neutral backdrop to the bright colors of the brand identifiers. This strategy led to not only an office-wide “system” of storage and workspace elements, but also a brand-wide “system” of materials, graphics, and touchpoints that tell the Fila story.

Photography by Oleg March.

Mapos custom-designed the reception desk and overhead lighting feature based on Fila’s iconic logo. Mapos conceived and created a rotating storage and display system so that three full seasons of footwear are on hand.

Fulfilling the dual function strategy, a public corridor runs the length of the showrooms lined with high-density shelving and white oak panels inset with display vitrines. Here, both the curated vitrines and the organized storage zone tell the history and future of the Fila brand.