66 GALLERY

In December 2009, the historically first Botas Concept Store and simultaneously 66 gallery opened in Konviktská Street in Prague, initiated by Radoslav Kuba, the owner of artport. The name of the gallery and the entire space is derived from the successfully redesigned collection of the legendary Botas 66, created by Jakub Korouš and Jan Kloss from the graphic design and visual communication studio at VŠUP, who actively participate in the concept and operation of 66 gallery.

The first meeting and assignment represented two basic requirements - to store and place approximately 1000 pairs of shoe boxes in two small rooms, whose total area is just under 45 m². And the idea of operation, where a concept store with shoes should function alongside an alternative gallery that provides space for contemporary art and design.

We naturally divided the space into two parts. On one side, there is a clean and white gallery, where most of the displays open onto the street, and on the other, a black retail space highlighting the texture and vibrant yellow color of the shoe boxes, designed in the spirit of the entire 66 collection. Shoe boxes represent the main motif of the entire concept store - their horizontal display in verticals set in a circle optically enlarges the space, which is only 18 m². Here, the sale and storage of all goods, totaling about 750 boxes with a sufficient reserve, take place together. The visitor has an overview of the sizes in which the model is available, and the seller has a clear visual control over the overall sales. The store's display creates an immediate statistic in the form of a spatial graph, offering a horizontally backlit "exhibition" area for individual shoe models at eye level. The layout of the store reflects the simple and graphically clean logo of 66 gallery in both the main circular shelving system and in the form of solitary furniture pieces shaped like black sixes and the letter "g". The residual space between the circular shelving system and the square layout of the room is utilized for a fitting room, storage of packaging, and entrance to the back of the entire operation. The passage to the gallery is framed by a transparent block for the placement of additional small goods, which predominantly consists of designer fashion accessories. This part serves as the main showcase of the store. The limits of the "small" space represent a significant challenge for our studio. The interior design of the Botas Concept Store is an experiment to optically enlarge the store to the maximum possible extent while also imprinting it with a unique atmosphere.

As the first exhibition in the 66 gallery, the project by the OKOLO group titled Anatomy of ČZ was presented in January 2010, featuring a disassembled Čezeta 175 motorcycle from the late 1950s. The exhibition at the beginning of the new gallery reminded of the creativity and design of the 1960s, which is inseparably linked to sneakers.