Virgil Abloh and Nike Redesign the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago's Basketball Facility
A positive space for youth at the Boy’s & Girls Club’s Garfield Park branch.
Virgil Abloh and Nike have partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to fully renovate the basketball facilities at the organization’s Garfield Park chapter in Chicago. By refurbishing the court, locker rooms and game rooms, Abloh and Nike aim to provide a positive space for kids in the neighborhood to play.
With a crisp green and blue color scheme plus Abloh’s signature Off-White™ quotation marks accenting its glistening wood floor, the new court is undeniably striking — and the gym’s wall features a mural painted by Chicago artist Max Sansing. However, the upgrades extend off the hardwood and above the revamped game rooms/refreshed locker rooms. Nike will also launch an “All-Star Academy” at the space, offering area youth on-court training and learning opportunities in sport design, science and journalism.
Abloh — who grew up two hours outside of the Windy City — has long championed Chicago’s youth. This marks his second community-focused project after 2019’s NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center, a community-focused workshop that hosted panels, seminars and a thorough eight-week mentorship program.
“This new court and programming not only extend our community work from the NikeLab Re-Creation Center, they provide a positive, free space for kids to engage in activities rooted in sport that will lead to an active healthy lifestyle and teach teamwork and the determination to succeed” said the designer.
The new facility is open to Chicago youth now.
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