Fanatics

Fanatics, a sports merchandise firm with a global presence, wanted to revamp its New York City offices in 2023 to create an appealing and engaging environment for employees who had been working remotely in the years during the pandemic. They wanted to make their employees feel excited to come to the office, and to instill a sense of community and collaboration — literally being on a team — so shared spaces were a must. They had good bones: the office had been already designed around collaboration and teamwork in 2019 by Gresham Smith, so emphasizing these ideas was the next natural step.

The Entrance

Inspired by the “pregame” experience, this entryway and reception area was designed to elicit the same excitement of entering a stadium before a game.

To invite people through the entrance corridor and up to the reception desk, Nanometer installed this ceiling with dynamic, color-cycling LED lighting that injects energy and personality into an otherwise simple and gray space.

Programmable NanoFleck point-source luminaries in RGBW LEDs to allow for color cycling and animations to create an exciting, welcoming energy, drawing employees and visitors into the space, while the perforated metal creates a dynamic and visually interesting texture, imbuing the space with memorable character.

The Gathering Space

While the offices and conference rooms were inspired by the “game” experience, where strategies are put into play and the action happens, this communal gathering space is the “post-game” area, where, after working hard and getting results, employees can relax and regroup.

The space features large screens for viewing and sports bar-inspired booths and tables for gathering, so employees can bond over their mutual passion for sports. And on the ceiling about the stairwell is the Fanatics logo manifested in a pair of NanoTex Shape fixtures with RGBW LEDs for color changing options that can reflect various events, including team colors.

The shape of the Fanatics logo was complex, and required a sharp angle as well as curved rails to capture the shape correctly. Nanometer was able to recreate the logo perfectly thanks to their innovating rail-shaping process that allows for these kinds of intricate shapes. The rails were then finished in black for a polished look and fit with Nanometer’s T1 Sustainable Efficient fabric for seamless, dot-free illumination. They also provided the controls so Fanatics could program color transitions for events.

The result of these design choices has been overwhelmingly positive, with employees excited to use their office space, collaborate and socialize with colleagues, and celebrate the sports that touch so many lives.