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To unveil its EQT footwear collection, Adidas<\/strong><\/a> and design studio Playlab carve a 200-meter running track within the grounds of an active gypsum mine near Santa Fe, New Mexico<\/strong><\/a>. With the conceptual clarity of land art, the project is conceived as a temporary experience which will ultimately return to the earth<\/a><\/strong>. During its short run, it offered a spatial experience shaped by material constraint and an integration with the remote, barren desert.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The track is located more than 2,000 meters above sea level. The site offers a stark, open expanse of white terrain, a working mine carved into the desert landscape. The choice of location was purposeful. \u2018It was important for us to create this somewhere away from the center,\u2019 says Playlab co-founder Archie Lee Coates. \u2018Somewhere you would have to get to, outside of the big cultural centers.\u2019 The site\u2019s remoteness echoes the solitary nature of trail running in the region and invites a slower, more considered arrival, akin to a pilgrimage.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The track\u2019s simple geometry shows a dual-ringed oval composed entirely of materials sourced from the gypsum-rich site itself. Its design references the site-specific works of land artists like Michael Heizer and Hansj\u00f6rg Voth, as well as symbolic journeys such as the Camino de Santiago. The effect is about orientation, and framing the act of running within a broader context of environment and ritual.<\/p>\n images \u00a9\u00a0Playlab<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n All components of the running track, from the one-meter outer wall to the benches and fire pit, are built by Adidas<\/strong><\/a> and Playlab<\/strong><\/a> using raw gypsum from the New Mexico mine. Rather than importing materials, Playlab chose to work with what was already available, treating the site both as source and setting. The track surface is dyed using water-based pigments that gradually fade with time, emphasizing the impermanence of the installation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The outer ring is kept low enough to maintain sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, while the inner wall rises to two meters, shielding a recessed gathering area equipped with seating and a central fire circle. This interior space transforms the structure from a track into a temporary pavilion, able to accommodate post-run gatherings, or simply spaces for pause.<\/p>\n Adidas and Playlab built a running track near an active gypsum mine in New Mexico<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Standing as a minimalist intervention in the New Mexico desert, the Adidas running track is informed in circular thinking. Once the installation has served its purpose, the gypsum structures can be dismantled and reincorporated into the mine\u2019s production stream \u2014 ultimately forming drywall for buildings across New Mexico. The design acknowledges its temporary nature while at once resisting disposability and waste.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This collaboration marks a rare convergence between brand activation and site-sensitive design. Rather than overt symbolism or graphic branding, the project embraces restraint. The architecture of the track focuses on process and material honesty. These qualities are more often associated with experimental installations or land art \u2014 especially Robert Smithson\u2019s beloved Spiral Jetty \u2014 than with commercial sportswear campaigns.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n the track is designed to launch Adidas\u2019 EQT collection with a concept referencing land art<\/p>\n Playlab chose the remote desert site to encourage a sense of pilgrimage<\/p>\n all materials are sourced from gypsum found on site<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n design team: <\/strong>Adidas<\/a>, Playlab<\/a><\/p>\n completion:\u00a0<\/strong>December 2024<\/p>\n The post adidas references desert land art with running track built near remote new mexico mine<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" a running track carved from the earth \u00a0 To unveil its EQT footwear collection, Adidas and design studio Playlab carve a 200-meter running track within the grounds of an active gypsum mine near Santa Fe, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nadidas and playlab Sculpt the Surface from the Site<\/h2>\n
A Temporary Monument with Material Afterlife<\/h2>\n