Zak Group and Universal Design Studio led the creative direction and spatial design for Nike’s “Forever King Tour” in Shanghai, staged at the Bund City Hall Plaza — one of the city’s major cultural venues. The multi-day event celebrated over two decades of LeBron James’ basketball legacy and marked the unveiling of the LeBron XXIII.

The plaza was transformed into an outdoor arena for 500 fans and media, anchored by a monumental crown pavilion in the central courtyard where LeBron revealed the XXIII. Surrounding facades were animated with large-scale visuals and a custom exterior lighting scheme that extended into the plaza.

The accompanying exhibition spanned four floors of the complex, each dedicated to a period of LeBron’s career. Shifts in material and lighting signalled changes in era — expressed through scaffolding, scrim walls, brushed aluminium and stone. On the ground floor, mobile archive cabinets presented Nike ephemera, while stone plinths evolved from rough forms to refined monoliths, echoing LeBron’s progression from prodigy to icon. A scaffolding system threaded through the building, transforming the raw structure with minimal intervention, creating zones of dark and light, and supporting digital screens, interpretation panels and neon graphics.

Storytelling extended across the space through trading cards, magazines, press clippings and jerseys, alongside key products for each era. On the top floor, the “Forever King” crown was displayed on a stone plinth, recalling the traditions of royal regalia.

The project defined the full consumer journey — from arrival in the plaza, to movement through the exhibition and LeBron’s own path through the space during the run of show. Developed as a partnership between Zak Group and Universal Design Studio, and in close collaboration with Nike’s Global Retail team, the work encompassed creative direction, exhibition design, graphics, lighting, wayfinding and narrative strategy across both exterior and interior environments.