Nike and Concrete Objects are on a mission to lift Hackney’s community spirit
Designed by Concrete Objects’ Samuel Ross and Jobe Burns, the Swoosh brand’s first foray into furniture is inspired by East London architecture

Nike recently joined forces with London design studio Concrete Objects to engage East London’s community spirit ahead of the Hackney 5k. For the race day – which took place over the weekend on 18 May – designers Samuel Ross and Jobe Burns were tasked with creating the finisher t-shirt, participant medal, as well as the start and finish gantry and a post-race rest area for runners.
It’s new territory for Ross and Burns, who are known for their homeware and furniture collections crafted through a brutalist lens. The pair founded their sculptural art-based practice in 2017, citing Bauhaus, and Zaha Hadid among their inspirations. For the Hackney 5k, they turned their gaze directly to the neighbourhood: the medal, for instance, takes its seemingly abstract shape from the boundaries of the borough, while the materials nod to the pebbledash buildings that are prominent in the area.
The designers themselves had recently taken up running, which informed their approach to the project for Nike. ‘We tend to run in solitude as most people do when they run through a city,’ explains Ross. ‘With the [race] being the veins and heart of the community, we wanted to find a way to socialise the experience.’ They took the idea of a medal and explored how to turn it in a sculpture, which the pair say is closer to their process. The resulting object is based on an abstract map of the borough of Hackney.
RELATED STORY
Ross and Burns were also interested in translating the idea of movement in static objects, looking at ergonomic shapes and the body, and how people worked out pre and post-race. This is most apparent in the limited-edition tee, which is emblazoned with the slogan ‘Ergonomic study for local movement’ printed across it (and a CAD illustration of the gantry on the rear).
For the rest area, the pair devised a series of modular soft-play pieces from recycled PVC and upcycled foam, that also adorned the the gantry. ‘It felt interesting to make something that was socially-led, rather than from the perspective of a fashion deity, or designers speaking down to the people,’ adds Ross. ‘This is a really equal conversation.’ The mission to get Hackney’s denizens moving doesn’t end there: each element of the gantry and post-race area will be gifted to the local community after the Hackney 5k.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Nike website and the Concrete Objects website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
A new London house delights in robust brutalist detailing and diffused light
London's House in a Walled Garden by Henley Halebrown was designed to dovetail in its historic context
By Jonathan Bell
-
A Sussex beach house boldly reimagines its seaside typology
A bold and uncompromising Sussex beach house reconfigures the vernacular to maximise coastal views but maintain privacy
By Jonathan Bell
-
This 19th-century Hampstead house has a raw concrete staircase at its heart
This Hampstead house, designed by Pinzauer and titled Maresfield Gardens, is a London home blending new design and traditional details
By Tianna Williams
-
An octogenarian’s north London home is bold with utilitarian authenticity
Woodbury residence is a north London home by Of Architecture, inspired by 20th-century design and rooted in functionality
By Tianna Williams
-
What is DeafSpace and how can it enhance architecture for everyone?
DeafSpace learnings can help create profoundly sense-centric architecture; why shouldn't groundbreaking designs also be inclusive?
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell
-
The dream of the flat-pack home continues with this elegant modular cabin design from Koto
The Niwa modular cabin series by UK-based Koto architects offers a range of elegant retreats, designed for easy installation and a variety of uses
By Jonathan Bell
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams