BRIEF:

The task was to design a showroom combined with a sewing workshop and space for workshops in a ground-floor unit in Letná. The space is connected to the street, includes a small front garden with two trees, and continues at the rear into a courtyard with a terrace and lawn, to be addressed in a later project phase.
The brief was to create a place with a representative and sales function, able to respond to the variable operation of the ABABU brand.

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CONCEPT:

The ABABU showroom is designed as a multifunctional space capable of smoothly changing its form and use. At one moment it functions as a calm retail space, at another it transforms into a sewing workshop, workshop venue, minimarket, photo studio, or informal base for the brand’s daily operation.

 

From the street, the space attracts attention through a typical Letná front garden and a neon sign placed in the shop window. Upon entry, the interior surprises with its cosy atmosphere, enhanced by a fabric ceiling suspended on steel cables. Electrical installations are concealed above the ceiling, allowing the interior to remain visually calm and clean.

 

The front part of the showroom is intended for visitors. It serves for the presentation and sale of toys displayed on exhibition tables and along a plywood wall. The sales counter is located within an existing niche, reshaped using a white panel with a rounded arched opening. The inner walls of the niche are clad in black-stained plywood, emphasising this area and creating a natural orientation point.

 

A key principle of the design is flexibility. Semi-circular display tables – so-called “clouds” – can be grouped into different configurations, moved against walls, or stored within their “houses” to keep the space clear. The tables are made of black-stained plywood, include storage, and differ in surface detail – some feature vertical textures, others remain smooth.

 

Worktables are designed as a crucial operational element. They allow the storage of fabric rolls and can be variably connected – side by side for cutting large-format fabrics, or end to end for workshops, sales events, or group work. The wall behind the worktables is fitted with a white wire grid serving as a pinboard for notes, information, small decorations, or plants.

 

The rear, more private part of the showroom is separated by swing doors. These ensure operational separation of the office and back-of-house while allowing occasional opening of the space towards the garden. This area is intended for summer workshops and events, with the garden design addressed in a subsequent project phase.