Project Gallery

The 108, Brent Cross

THE LOCATION

The 108 sits at the heart of Brent Cross Town, a major £8bn, 180-acre regeneration in North London. This pioneering indoor sports centre is London's first all-weather facility for baseball, softball and padel. It features a full-size infield, four HitTrax-enabled batting cages and two bullpens, making it the largest indoor baseball and softball complex in Europe. New to the venue are six panoramic indoor padel courts, reflecting the sport's rising popularity. In addition to sports, The 108 offers an American Bar & Grill, a café, and a retail store ("Hitter's House") for baseball gear. Conveniently, it is just a three-minute walk from Brent Cross West station, providing easy access for players and visitors across London.

The building was originally a simple steel-framed shed from the 1980s. Brent Cross Town officials describe it as an "unassuming 40,000 sq ft metal shed" that awaited its renaissance. By the time The 108 was planned, the dated glass facade and metal framework had become grimy and visually tired. As part of Brent Cross Town's ambition – to create "vibrant, accessible leisure space" and community destinations – the owners wanted the entrance and frontage to reflect the centre's energy. In short, the once-plain 1980s structure needed a bold makeover to match its cutting-edge interior.

THE BRIEF

Our client tasked us with completely overhauling the building's exterior image. They needed to conceal the drab, ageing glass facade and rebrand it with eye-catching graphics that would promote the venue and attract new visitors. In Embrace's terms, the goal was to turn the plain building front into "a stunning, visual treat" for passers-by. The wrap had to cover multiple glass panels and an old entrance area, integrating seamlessly so that the artwork flowed without distortion. In effect, the new design was intended not only to modernise the façade but to function as a giant billboard – reinforcing The 108's branding throughout the Brent Cross Town regeneration zone.

In practical terms, the brief called for a high-resolution printed vinyl installation across the glazed frontage. The graphics were supplied by the client's design team (featuring The 108's logo and imagery of baseball/padel), and Embrace's job was to produce, fit and finish the artwork on site. Tight tolerances were required so that each piece of art aligned perfectly across the joints between glass panes.

THE SOLUTION

Embrace took charge of the project from survey to sign-off. First, our project manager conducted a detailed site survey to evaluate the condition of every glass panel and the window frames. We removed decades of accumulated grime through power washing, ensuring each surface was clean enough for strong vinyl adhesion. Precise measurements of the glass and openings were recorded to create a digital template that would guide printing.

Key tasks included:

• Conducting a comprehensive site survey and thoroughly cleaning the existing facade.
• Taking exact measurements of all glazed sections to guide the artwork layout.
• Printing the client's custom graphics in high resolution on weatherproof, self-adhesive vinyl.
• Wrapping all 117 individual glass panes on the main elevation with the printed vinyl.
• Installing a custom-printed aluminum composite (ACP) panel over the old entrance to extend the graphic across that section.

These steps ensured a crisp, modern appearance with no gaps or misaligned edges. Embrace's approach is to manage everything "from the initial site survey to completion and removal", and here that included arranging all hoisting equipment, access permissions, and health-and-safety requirements. Our in-house team oversaw the print production and handled the installation in situ, carefully fitting each vinyl panel.

The result is a completely transformed facade. The once-drab glass wall is now covered with vivid, brand-aligned imagery that spans the entire elevation. The design aligns across all 117 panes plus the entrance canopy, giving the appearance of one unified giant graphic. In effect, we converted that part of the building into a long-term advertising display. As Embrace notes, such creative wraps "trick the eye" and serve as outdoor billboards, turning construction hoardings or scaffolds into powerful marketing tools. At The 108, the new frontage does exactly that: it promotes the sports venue to anyone passing through Brent Cross, and it re-energises the streetscape with colour and motion.

"The new frontage not only promotes the facility and attracts new members, but also completely redefines the feel of the surrounding area – turning a tired 1980s façade into a giant, visually impactful billboard that reflects the energy and ambition of The 108," Greg Forster, MD of Embrace, explains.

The installation was completed on time and within budget, with all sections fitting perfectly first time. The client was pleased to see the building's exterior come alive as planned. Ultimately, the wrap exceeded expectations by providing a long-lasting advertising asset for The 108, while our turnkey service ensured the transformation was seamless and stress-free.