Since 1996, the “Oakley Safehouse” has provided a unique environment for athletes to escape and relax during the Olympic Games. This summer Oakley will once again create a Safehouse at the acclaimed Design Museum in London, where they will welcome over 600 athletes between July 27 and August 12. Chilewich has been selected as the exclusive flooring and tabletop partner for the design project.

Using their slogan “Beyond Reason” as the benchmark, Oakley has created a Safehouse that will exceed athletes’ expectations and bring together brands that exemplify their model for innovation. Encompassing two floors of the Design Museum, the Safehouse will feature a full-service restaurant on the first level and a lounge on the second level, incorporating multiple viewing areas, a coffee bar, refreshments bar, a custom eyewear area and an interview area for media.

Director of Performance Sports Marketing, Cuan Petersen, has headed up the design of the Oakley Safehouses since the very beginning and has selected Chilewich as a preferred partner for their design project in London, “I’m a big fan of their design and was so excited to see Chilewich’s new tile flooring solution, BioFelt. This was a perfect fit for what we were trying to create in London. We have a very limited build time but we wanted a world-class, beautiful floor that would give a permanent and finished look.” Durdam Rocherolle, Oakley Olympic Consultant specializing in partnerships and alliances, elaborates, “We were blown away by how easy it was to install. With a largely untrained flooring crew, we were able to install 2,200 sq. ft. with about 100 cuts in a half a day – and it was actually fun to put down! I’ve never seen a cleaner look in an installed floor. It’s hard to believe you can pick it up and use it again so easily – it looks so permanent.”

Chilewich’s brand new BioFelt tile system (composed of 82% pre- and post-consumer content) was installed using VELCROBrand HookSquares that connect each floor tile to one another and to the floor. As the entire system is reusable it was both an environmentally conscious and cost efficient solution for Oakley. BioFelt was introduced for the first time in June and this is the first commercial installation of the product anywhere in the world.

Joe Sultan, Chilewich CEO, elaborates, “BioFelt is the most exciting tile backing system we’ve ever developed and we are delighted to have the opportunity to install it in such a prominent, design-oriented space. Moreover, both Chilewich and Oakley are driven by a desire for continuous innovation in their respective fields – this partnership was a very logical fit for both brands.”

In addition to the BioFelt floor tiles, Oakley also chose eight custom size rugs for the lounge area and over 350 tabletop designs for the restaurant area. Placemats, runners, napkins and more in a variety of colors and styles will be rotated throughout the day to create a fresh look and feel for each meal service.

Over the next three weeks, Oakley will host 600 Oakley-sponsored athletes at their Safehouse in the Design Museum, as well as approximately 200 VIP guests from media, key accounts and partners. For more information visit www.oakleysafehouse.com

For additional information or high resolution images, please contact: Ciara Cronin | PR & E-Communication Manager | Chilewich ccronin@chilewich.com | 646 545 2480