World Athletics Heritage announces the opening of an exclusive ASICS room in the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).
Visitors enter the new room through an ASICS arch branded with the tagline ‘Sound Mind, Sound Body’. This is the philosophy adopted by company founder Kihachiro Onitsuka and from which ASICS’ name, an acronym, is derived. The Latin phrase “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” translates to “a sound mind in a sound body.”
The large hexagonal-shaped room provides a dramatic, engaging and innovative space that tells the history of ASICS and its products from 1949 to the present day, through video, photography and text.
Basil Heatley, Kokichi Tsuburaya, Lasse Viren, Rosa Mota, Yuko Arimori, Naoko Takahashi, Stefano Baldini and Mizuki Noguchi are among the many great runners listed as having worn their footwear.
As well as the historical timeline on the walls, there is a large video screen in the centre of the floor area to welcome visitors. Around this are three podiums that highlight ASICS’ shoes and apparel from three editions of the World Athletics Championships: London 2017, Doha 2019 and Oregon22.
Taking it to another level
The new ASICS room, which is split into two, literally takes MOWA, the world’s first 3D fully virtual sports museum, to another level.
ASICS displays, which occupy the ground floor of the room, are connected via lift and a spiral staircase to a mezzanine level above, dedicated to the distinctive Onitsuka Tiger brand.
The darker design of the walls of this upper floor area reflects this lifestyle brand’s fusion of Japanese heritage and modern flair.
This is the first time on this scale that the drama of height perspective has been incorporated into the virtual realm of MOWA. Visitors to the upper floor can gaze down over the glass balcony into the ASICS space below, bringing a greater sense of depth and reality into MOWA.
“World Athletics thanks our Official Partner ASICS for their support and investment, which has created this dynamic new room in the unique virtual 3D world of MOWA,” commented World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
“We are delighted to host this exclusive ASICS space. Its content and eye-catching design enhances the MOWA visitor experience.”
Latest ASICS activation
The ASICS room, located in a new World Athletics Partners’ wing, is the latest in a series of ASICS activations inside MOWA.
An ASICS historic footwear display was opened within the ‘Olympic Athletics Collection’ gallery last year, featuring eight ASICS athletics legends from the Olympic Games.
Most recently, to mark the forthcoming World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (15-24 July), ASICS unveiled a temporary display in the centre of the reception hall, which will remain open until the end of the year.
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