Queens Flagship Store Prague
The new flagship branch of the streetwear and sneakers store Queens has been located at Jindřišská 16 since mid-December 2017. It has 168 m² of sales space and 16 m² of outdoor display windows. The interior was designed by the designer duo Boris Klimek and Lenka Damová. Queens has been operating in this location for 12 years, starting at U Půjčovny 6 and now relocating from Panská 5. At the new address, it is in good company, with its neighbors being the two most interesting gastro projects of last year - bistro Špejle and the butchery and restaurant Kantýna.
“I am immensely happy with how Queens has grown over the 15 years since its founding. We have managed to build a successful business from a thrift store with a few pieces on a rack, which stood at the birth of the domestic sneakers scene. From the beginning, we have done it with love and enthusiasm, and we are definitely not tired of it. We have dreamed for a long time about the new Prague branch. In an attractive location just a few steps from the main shopping street, we are building a center for streetwear fashion. We are glad that we are not alone in this and that the city center is growing organically in the same way as in Berlin,” says Lenka Ondruchová, founder and owner of Queens.
“We love streetwear, and we are pleased to collaborate with Queens. It was a challenge to be part of such a project at a time when Queens is moving forward at rocket speed. Thanks to this, we also got to know a nice and capable team of people behind the company. We already tested our cooperation during the implementation of the store in Brno, which was developed in parallel with the design of the Prague store. We basically had a free hand, so it was the ideal situation,” says Boris Klimek. The visual design of the store, particularly its functional elements, naturally reflects the DNA of Queens, which is sneakers and streetwear. “Our goal was to create an airy and slightly industrial, yet functional interior where customers would feel comfortable. We didn’t want to overcomplicate it, so we chose several original dominant features, such as solitary clothing racks in the shape of oversized shopping bags and tables that resemble shoe boxes. We enjoyed working with the company’s symbolism transferred into graphic icon forms,” says Lenka Damová.
Two-thirds of the store comprises the sales area, while the rest is storage and employee facilities. The store is divided into two sections. The entrance section, which is larger, mainly serves for the presentation of shoes and clothing (metal racks and pedestals). The walls have special panels for displaying limited edition sneakers, which are more suitable for a gallery than for everyday wear. The highlight of the first room is a large neon sign reading "Queens." From this space, customers smoothly transition into the payment and online order pickup area, which also includes fitting rooms. The designers generously expanded the partition between the two rooms compared to the original layout, visually connecting them. They maintained the dramatic structure of raw materials to illustrate the expansion of Queens, which is continually growing and requires more and more space.
Klimek and Damová worked with contrasting colors in shades of white, gray, and black. This automatically directs attention to the displayed products, ensuring that nothing disturbs the customer in the interior. As for materials, they used an unconventional combination of custom-made carpentry elements (stained plywood in white and oak finishes) and metal frames. The entire space features a cast floor with epoxy screed. The store is also technically equipped to hold various events (pop-up sales, music), complete with a projector and quality sound system.
The Prague flagship store is not the only new branch that Queens has launched this year. In January 2017, they acquired the streetwear & sneakers division of Woodies, including a brick-and-mortar store in downtown Ostrava, which was designed by architect Petr Kundrát from the studio PROJEKTSTUDIO. Subsequently, in May, they opened a new branch in Brno. This store has 105 m² and is located at an attractive address in the very heart of the city, through which about 2,000 people pass daily. Klimek and Damová were also responsible for its design.
“I am immensely happy with how Queens has grown over the 15 years since its founding. We have managed to build a successful business from a thrift store with a few pieces on a rack, which stood at the birth of the domestic sneakers scene. From the beginning, we have done it with love and enthusiasm, and we are definitely not tired of it. We have dreamed for a long time about the new Prague branch. In an attractive location just a few steps from the main shopping street, we are building a center for streetwear fashion. We are glad that we are not alone in this and that the city center is growing organically in the same way as in Berlin,” says Lenka Ondruchová, founder and owner of Queens.
“We love streetwear, and we are pleased to collaborate with Queens. It was a challenge to be part of such a project at a time when Queens is moving forward at rocket speed. Thanks to this, we also got to know a nice and capable team of people behind the company. We already tested our cooperation during the implementation of the store in Brno, which was developed in parallel with the design of the Prague store. We basically had a free hand, so it was the ideal situation,” says Boris Klimek. The visual design of the store, particularly its functional elements, naturally reflects the DNA of Queens, which is sneakers and streetwear. “Our goal was to create an airy and slightly industrial, yet functional interior where customers would feel comfortable. We didn’t want to overcomplicate it, so we chose several original dominant features, such as solitary clothing racks in the shape of oversized shopping bags and tables that resemble shoe boxes. We enjoyed working with the company’s symbolism transferred into graphic icon forms,” says Lenka Damová.
Two-thirds of the store comprises the sales area, while the rest is storage and employee facilities. The store is divided into two sections. The entrance section, which is larger, mainly serves for the presentation of shoes and clothing (metal racks and pedestals). The walls have special panels for displaying limited edition sneakers, which are more suitable for a gallery than for everyday wear. The highlight of the first room is a large neon sign reading "Queens." From this space, customers smoothly transition into the payment and online order pickup area, which also includes fitting rooms. The designers generously expanded the partition between the two rooms compared to the original layout, visually connecting them. They maintained the dramatic structure of raw materials to illustrate the expansion of Queens, which is continually growing and requires more and more space.
Klimek and Damová worked with contrasting colors in shades of white, gray, and black. This automatically directs attention to the displayed products, ensuring that nothing disturbs the customer in the interior. As for materials, they used an unconventional combination of custom-made carpentry elements (stained plywood in white and oak finishes) and metal frames. The entire space features a cast floor with epoxy screed. The store is also technically equipped to hold various events (pop-up sales, music), complete with a projector and quality sound system.
The Prague flagship store is not the only new branch that Queens has launched this year. In January 2017, they acquired the streetwear & sneakers division of Woodies, including a brick-and-mortar store in downtown Ostrava, which was designed by architect Petr Kundrát from the studio PROJEKTSTUDIO. Subsequently, in May, they opened a new branch in Brno. This store has 105 m² and is located at an attractive address in the very heart of the city, through which about 2,000 people pass daily. Klimek and Damová were also responsible for its design.
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