Nike sponsored and hosted the Join Forces x Diablo Battle dance competition at the Pavillon Cambon in Paris in November 2022. A performance space designed by Paf Atelier and Yard Agency was temporarily inserted into the cultural space. 

The design intervention sought to reproduce a public boulevard space, where such types of performances originate and remain closely intertwined with. This intimacy was recreated by defining the performance area with enclosed perforated metal sheets, which are covered in images of street dancers. A circular stage for the performances was situated at the centre and surrounded by spectator platforms. 

The design approach reduced the volume of the cavernous space to mimic the same serendipitous connection between spectators and performers in the art’s original form. While Nike’s shoes and clothes are certainly prominent in street-dancing culture, the brand expands on this organic connection by recreating a performance environment that resonates with the origins and essence of the art form. This is especially important for something as democratic as street dance.