The adidas’ Southeast Asia headquarters in Singapore was conceived as a cultural tapestry—an environment where brand identity and regional heritage are interwoven into a singular narrative. Anchored in adidas’ global workplace branding guidelines, our role sought not merely to apply environmental graphics and signage, but to articulate a philosophy of connection: weaving together diverse cultures, traditions, and experiences into a coherent spatial language.
The guiding theme, Interwoven, became both metaphor and method. Weaving, as a practice, is embedded in Southeast Asian life—it informs dress, cuisine, and sport, and serves as a powerful symbol of unity. This philosophy permeated every touchpoint of the headquarters, from the grand arrival sequence to the most intimate focus rooms.
The reception sets the tone with a restrained palette of ebony black, concrete grey, and cool white, punctuated by a commanding adidas logo rendered in tone-on-tone stainless steel. Flanking walls juxtapose a luminous Southeast Asia map with capitals highlighted, and bold block typography inspired by regional concrete masonry. These gestures establish a dialogue between global brand precision and local vernacular craft.
Throughout the workplace, branded interventions were designed to activate space without overwhelming it. Seventeen meeting rooms were given distinct identities through bespoke acoustic artworks by Pepperwall, each themed around neighborhoods, sports, or capital cities. Five of these were developed in partnership with artist collective DPLMT, pushing material boundaries to create statement pieces. Eight focus rooms drew directly from woven traditions across the region, abstracting motifs from Lai Thai, Hmong, Yakan, Tenun, Batik, Ikat, Songket, and Singaporean Batik into contemporary graphic compositions.
Social spaces extend the narrative with equal intentionality. The Market pantry channels the vibrancy of Southeast Asia’s night markets, with illuminated lightboxes celebrating street food culture, playful projecting signs, and a suspended Originals neon logo that transforms the space into a townhall arena. Locker aisles, collaboration zones, and the Tech Zone carry subtle sporty graphics, integrated with restraint to maintain balance across the environment.
Rehla Design collaborated with Paperspace Asia, the Interior Design lead, and Miracles Design, the general contractor, on this fast-paced design and build project. Within the span of four rapid months, we delivered a workplace that espouses the adidas brand ethos, to create an environment that embodies the spirit of connection and energy of sport.
