For global sportswear giant Adidas, the new Lagos flagship is the first of its kind in West Africa. Situated on the affluent Victoria Island neighbourhood of the Nigerian metropolis, the two-storey, 380-square-metre retail hub integrates an eye-catching urban presence within a contextually sensitive — and culturally expressive — project by internationally acclaimed local practice Oshinowo Studio.

From a distance, the crisp white stripes of the Adidas logo immediately draw the eye against the clean and understated vertical lines of the building’s dark frontage. Yet, the simple, functional form reveals surprising complexity: The storefront’s sleek glazing is paired with a corrugated aluminum facade combining solid and perforated surfaces.

Subtly inspired by local vernacular architecture — similar aluminum is traditionally used for roofing across a wide variety of housing types — the combination of opaque and translucent surface treatments lends the storefront an inviting presence while maintaining a sense of aesthetic cohesion, and mitigating solar heat gain. In the evening, LED lights illuminate both the Adidas logo and the ridged aluminum surfaces, accentuating a sense of depth and tactility across the facade.

While the storefront is a sleek and assertive addition to the streetscape, the design also carefully integrated a small existing on-site building into the complex. Alongside the two-storey storefront, a 1970s concrete building — initially constructed as a single-family home before being converted into commercial use — has been adapted for the store’s back-of-house facilities. Oshinowo Studio’s carbon-conscious approach also saw a solar power system and sewage treatment plant — which allows waste water to be reused for irrigation — integrated on-site.

Alongside the retail space, the Adidas flagship incorporates a small outdoor basketball court, which allows the brand to host activations and events. Across the basketball court and throughout the interior, the space also introduces graphics and murals by contemporary Nigerian artists Chinelo Ezewudo, Osa Okunkpolor, Dennis Osadebe, and Ayoola Gbolahan. (Meanwhile, the landscaping plan also preserved the site’s 25-year-old royal palm trees, which soar above the two-storey frontage.)

According to Oshinowo Studio founder Tosin Oshinowo, the Adidas flagship combines an international brand with a celebration of distinctly local culture. “We have relished the opportunity to create a scheme that combines our love of Lagos and of Nigerian contemporary culture, with our global perspective and approach,” says Oshinowo. “Our design is inspired by the city ’s resilient, adaptable and go-getter resolve, building a place of convergence for sports and culture.”