London is calling for the Olympic hopefuls, and the people of London are giving the swimmers of the 2012 Olympics what they need. The aquatic center is amazing, and for those of you who were watching during the 2008 Olympics, you know that China was doing it right.
So London didn’t just design a facility; this is a concept and a statement of art. The design was intended to look like water in motion. Now what this has to do with the results of the USA and their swimming hopes in 2012, we can’t say, but ChivCulture.com is all about pushing the envelope and thinking about more than the structure. We put a spirit and a life into each shoe design, and the aquatic center is no different.
Not too often does the headquarters of a major company look as cool as the Oakley Headquarters. Situated in Foothill Ranch, Orange County, California, the central office of the one of the largest performance sports apparel companies in the world appears as if it was inspired by Battlestar Galactica (actually, it was Blade Runner that inspired it, but you get the picture). According to the 
Designed by Colin Baden- now president of Oakley- the concept behind the building was to keep viewers thinking. The thought, “Was this built for people who lived a thousand years ago or for people living a thousand years in the future,” was the central theme and inspiration. They’ve surely executed that well. Aside from being the main headquarters, the site features a customer-service repair-and-warranty center (situated behind a blast door), a retail store, and a museum that highlights the company’s product history — including autographed shades worn by Lance Armstrong in his Tour de France victories.
Baden designed the HQ after advising Oakley founder, Jim Jannard, on his idea to have a Blade Runner-inspired home. And while that never came to fruition, Baden’s concept for the offices delivered on Jannard’s dream. And while this may look like mere aesthetics, the materials used are really real, down to the B-52 ejector seats in the lobby and the foot-wide bolts and rivets used in the entryway. In fact, most of the steel fabrication was done by a steel shipbuilder in Tacoma, Washington.
Founded in 1975, Oakley was started by Jannard with just $300. Initially selling motorcycle grips- called “The Oakley Grip”- out the back of his car, Jim became popular in the BMX and Motorcross industries for his products, which included number plates, gloves, grips, elbow guards, chin guards, and goggles. In the 1980s, out of his garage laboratory, Jannard created the famous O-Frame and Eyeshade sunglasses, which allowed superior protection while performing in sports events.
Today, Jannard and Oakley have over 600 patents worldwide for their cutting-edge sunglasses designs, as well as for their prescription eyewear, shoes, apparel, and other accessories. Sports stars such as Lance Armstrong, Shaun White, Ichiro Suzuki, and Ryan Sheckler are major supporters of the company and are on Oakley’s sports teams roster. Additionally, Oakley has contracts with the US military and law enforcement agencies, designing many products especially for them.
For such a cutting-edge, innovative company, it’s only proper and fitting their headquarters look the part. Instead of creating a site typical of SoCal offices, Baden did something that not only is a departure from the norm, but is something that is timeless in it’s own, a place that thousands of years from now will look, feel, and be just as relevant and fitting as it is today.
