Czech architects A1 Architects have completed 66 Gallery and Botas Concept Store, a combined art gallery and shoe store in Prague.

The store sells redesigned versions of Botas Classic 66 trainers, a vintage trainer by Czech brand Botas.

The trainers (above) have been designed by Czech graphic designers Jakub Korouš and Jan Kloss.

The gallery (above and below) is used for art exhibitions, including this installation of a dismantled vintage Cezeta 175 motorcycle by art and design collective OKOLO.

Photographs are by A1 Architects.

Here's some text from the architects:

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66 GALLERY, BOTAS CONCEPT STORE BY A1 ARCHITECTS

KONVIKTSKÁ street, prague 1 - old town

Lenka KRemenová, David Maštálka / A1 Architects

The historically first Botas Concept Store and 66gallery opened up in December 2009 in Prague, Czech Republic. The name of the 66 Gallery derives from a successfully redesigned collection of legendary Czech trainers brand Botas Classic 66 by Jakub Korouš and Jan Kloss, young graphic designers from Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.

The idea of interior design came from two main client's requirements. At once to store ca. 1000 pieces of shoe boxes within the floor area of about 52m2 and to operate as a concept store together with a small contemporary art gallery.

We divided the whole space into two parts. On one hand there is the pure white gallery with the advantege of main windows and on the other hand in contrary is the dark (black) space of the Botas Concept Store, which is perfect for emphasizing the small scale details of shoes and the texture of yellow boxes, which were specially designed for the 66 collection.

The shoes and boxes are the principal motif of the store as they are all round vertically exposed and organized within a black system of shelves.  Its fine-drawn geometry optically enlarges the space of only 18m2. It is a retail space together with storage with a final number of 750 shoe boxes.

The shoppers have an overview of all types and sizes and the vendor has visual control of all displayed goods. The whole concept store works as an immediate statistics and spatial graph, which presents all Botas Classic 66 collection models.

The layout of the store reminds the 66 Gallery logo in the round system of shelves and also in free standing furniture formed as the number "6". Remanent space behind the round shelves serve as dressing room, additional storage and staff facilities. The gallery entrance is framed by a transparent block of shelves, used for the presentation of other fashion accessories.

Small space limits are a big challenge for A1 Architects. Interior design of the Botas Concept Store was an experiment about optical enlarging of a small shop and in the same time creating a unique atmosphere.

The first exhibition, at the 66 Gallery a project presented by OKOLO, is called CZ anatomy, which shows a dismantled Cezeta 175 motorcycle designed in the fifties. The exhibition is a reminder of the creativity and design of the early sixties with which the Botas trainers are so closely tied.

CLIENT: Radoslav Kuba / artport s.r.o.
AUTHORS: Lenka Kremenová, David Maštálka / A1 Architects
PROJECT: A1 Architects
COOPERATION: Jakub Korouš & Jan Kloss and OKOLO
FURNISHER: Emtandem
FLOOR AREA: 52 m2
REALIZATION: autumn 2009