urbantainer's neon-clad media room showcases the evolution of adidas’ iconic EQT

uniting experiences from different times, the korean-based urbantainer team has designed the ‘media room’ showcasing the adidas original sneaker exhibition. throughout the neon-clad space, videos are shown on TV sets and 8mm film, and typographic displays represented the past and existed hand in hand with visual contents about adidas’ classic EQT development streamed on more recent technologies like beam projectors. 
additionally, the archive tower in the centre space symbolises the continuity of the EQT philosophy, standing solid like a rock in the flow of ever-changing times.

the external façade

the 11 meter-high, transparent tower is built of both glass and acrylic and only contained one bold EQT print, only visible in total from a specific angle. the urbantainer-designed tower is divided into two sections and respectively showcases EQT shoes from the 90s and the 2000s. the overall experience is emboldened by a lighting installation featuring the main colors of their times, the traditional ‘sub green’ and the contemporary ‘turbo red’, gradually shifting into each other, thus representing the flow of time from past to present. the tables at the foot of the tower provide EQT catalogues and commercials from the 90s.

archive tower

in order to contextualise the experience, iconic items of that era like walkmans, game consoles and CDPs are on display. moreover, videos streamed on beam projectors show the latest EQT products and dive deeper into product details, further connecting the dots between the EQT now and then. in the photo exhibition, the works of two iconic photographers of their times highlighted the fundamental values and meaning of the iconic shoes. while lawrence watson’s photos provided a lively insight into the cultural sensitivities of the 90s when the EQT was born, contemporary visuals were represented by works of juergen teller. the presentation of the photographs in white frames and hanging wires referenced the white cube of a photo gallery.

the media room

behind EQT’s evolution fuelled by trends of the respective times and today’s challenges of innovating the EQT is a deeper philosophy that remains unchanged. in the sequence room, this philosophy is broken down into three parts, ‘the birth of the EQT’, ‘changing times’, ‘EQT’s new challenge’ and presented in three spatially separated stage sets. a fourth room visualised the overarching theme of connecting past and present with a presentation of seoul in the past and present. this space experience is enhanced by a lighting installation featuring the complimentary colors ‘sub green’ and ‘turbo red’ to symbolise the EQT’s philosophy which is conceived in the past, and today’s technologies which helped boosting the EQT into the present.

archive tower and photographer juergen teller’s exhibition

in order to complete the journey for the visitors and deepen the narrative of the exhibition, works were created in collaboration with korean artists. DJ Soulscape curated and exhibited classic hip hop albums from the 90s, and visitors could mix tracks on a large scale turntable installation. in addition to an exhibition of paintings by young jin kim’s older works, visitors could take photos at the photo wall featuring the painter’s newer works as backdrop. 
a mobile pop-up store featured the latest EQT sneakers to give visitors a chance to get their hands on the complete collection and purchase items. inside, diverse services like a section for custom-ordered sneakers and a shoe cleaning booth made sure visitors’ needs around everything EQT were satisfied.

overkill information stand

artist exhibition

beam projector in the present

main media room

sequence room #3

sequence room #1

lawrence watson’s photo exhibition

sequence room #2

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynn chaya | designboom