THE FLYING PICKLE: Branding pickleball in a whole new light
With the popularity of pickleball simply exploding over the past few years, The Flying Pickle came to being in Meridian, Idaho. Owners sought to create Treasure Valley’s first premium indoor facility for the growing, local pickleball community.
A 49,000 sq. ft. industrial warehouse space was secured, and Cushing Terrell was brought on to develop the concept. The goal was to incorporate cutting-edge elements specific to pickleball, with surrounding spaces and amenities that would foster community and member connections.
“This was quite a unique opportunity to develop a brand from the ground up,” said Jill Lee, senior interior designer and associate at Cushing Terrell. “It’s the template for what the owner hopes will be many more locations in the future.”
Pickleball was “born” on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, so Lee and her team drew inspiration from colors, textures, and materials with a West Coast feel. This is particularly prevalent in the The Flying Pickle’s central community zone, and lighting plays an important role.
Eureka’s Quadrant pendants make a bold statement in the lounge area. Six silver gray Quadrant luminaires are clustered over the couches and casual seating. And five ocean blue pendants hang above the café tables. Suspended to a consistent height of nine feet, the oversized 47” fixtures bring an intimacy to the area that belies the 30-foot ceilings. Each features a discreet Mika 4230 spherical diffusor with a 4000K color temperature, complementing the sports lighting over the adjacent courts.
“We needed a lot of volume in our light fixtures so they would not get lost,” said Lee. “And we also needed something with acoustic performance. Hard surfaces are everywhere, and pickleball is a very loud sport!”
Designers wanted to create a sense of excitement as members and visitors passed through this space. It is also a major access point in the facility, as people converge to and from the reception, courts, pro shop, kitchen, eating zone, restrooms, and lockers. A lot is happening, so a stained concrete floor and the color-coordinated luminaires work together to define the space.
“Quadrant is a really unique fixture, and I just love the colors,” Lee said. “It’s unusual to have so many color choices; most acoustic fixtures with PET felt offer minimal color options.”
Lighting was also used strategically to define the reception area. Four Tangram-Tact luminaires are suspended along the main desk. Dramatic black straps emerge between the acoustic baffles, supporting the white-shaded luminaires. Despite its high output and 4000K color temperature, the soft, round shade helps to hide the light source and reduce overall glare over the desk.
“One of the things we loved the most about Tangram-Tact is that it is connected through the strap,” Lee said. “We had to revise our original baffle design, spacing them out more than originally intended. But the Tangram-Tact strap was easily adjustable to adapt to the new configuration.”
The Flying Pickle has been a hit from day one, exceeding expectations in terms of membership and community involvement. Everyone loves the space.
“The Eureka fixtures look amazing,” said Lee. “They are performing really well. They were the perfect selection for this project; I don’t think anything else could have done what these are doing.”
- Project Name: The Flying Pickle
- Location: Meridian, Idaho, USA
- Project completion: December 2023
- Architecture/Interior Design: Cushing Terrell
- Eureka Agent: DMA Lighting
- Photographer: Bob Pluckebaum
More information about the Flying Pickle lighting project from Eureka
