ADIDAS INSTALLATION CELEBRATES THE EPHEMERAL

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, New Mexico. With the conceptual clarity of land art, the project is conceived as a temporary experience which will ultimately return to the earth. During its short run, it offered a spatial experience shaped by material constraint and an integration with the remote, barren desert.

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. ‘It was important for us to create this somewhere away from the center,’ says Playlab co-founder Archie Lee Coates. ‘Somewhere you would have to get to, outside of the big cultural centers.’ The site’s remoteness echoes the solitary nature of trail running in the region and invites a slower, more considered arrival, akin to a pilgrimage.

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The track’s 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 Hansjörg 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.

Adidas and Playlab Sculpt the Surface from the Site

All components of the running track, from the one-meter outer wall to the benches and fire pit, are built by Adidas and Playlab 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.

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.

A Temporary Monument with Material Afterlife

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’s production stream — ultimately forming drywall for buildings across New Mexico. The design acknowledges its temporary nature while at once resisting disposability and waste.

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 — especially Robert Smithson’s beloved Spiral Jetty — than with commercial sportswear campaigns.

ADIDAS RUNNING LAB
LOCATION Santa Fe, New Mexico
ARCHITECT Adidas with Playlab
PHOTOGRAPHY Playlab via designboom