PUMA Studio
Designed by West of West, this 1,858-square-metre hub in LA for German athletics brand PUMA brings product, marketing and events under one roof.
Creativity runs wild at PUMA Studio. Inspired by the concept of a traditional atelier with a contemporary twist, it contains showrooms, workspaces, libraries and design studios for both hands-on creation and cultural exchange.
Jai Kumaran, co-founder of West of West, explains that the main challenge was choreographing a space to support these diverse activities that are often happening simultaneously. Instead of fixed rooms, the team has crafted loosely defined “environments”. “We wanted the boundaries between thinking, making and presenting to be genuinely porous so that the work happening in one space could spill into, influence and inspire what was happening in another,” he says.
The atelier concept helps to facilitate this, allowing for a range of spaces that are intentional but versatile, including Studio48 – a dedicated design workshop with an extensive footwear and apparel material library, advanced prototyping tools, printing facilities, sewing machines and photoshoot-ready backdrops. The spatial experience reflects the idea that creativity is not just one thing, with spaces conceived for both spontaneous collaboration and quiet concentration. As Kumaran puts it, the goal was for the building itself to generate “creative friction” to fuel the exchange of ideas.
The material palette relies on a warm, minimal selection of wood, glass and matte aluminium, and custom tones and textures give each zone its own identity. The library’s deep-green velvet carpet and curvaceous, built-in sofa create a cosy, relaxing vibe, while the boardroom’s dark suede-like plaster walls and cast-resin table offer a more formal, focused environment. The showroom – a luminous gallery with polished concrete floors and mirrored panels – can be adapted to host private styling sessions and larger events. At the studio’s centre, a ribbonlike timber staircase connects the social and design floors, reinforcing the dynamic, collaborative spirit that underpins the company.
Los Angeles’ revered quality of light and filmmaking history are also evident in the studio’s cinematic approach. “Light was one of our most powerful design tools. A change in illumination can make you feel like you’ve entered a completely different world,” Kumaran says. “PUMA Studio is really a 24-hour project, like a city… and everything was developed with that full arc of time in mind.”
As PUMA cultivates partnerships with local creatives and brands like A$AP Rocky, Salehe Bembury and Nahmias, while LA prepares to host some of the world’s most iconic sporting events – such as the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics – the brand’s choice to set up shop at this epicentre of sport and culture was no coincidence. As Kumaran notes, the new studio space “reflects their ambitions and gives their team a place to keep inventing”.
