twelvebooks is a book distributor specializing in contemporary photography. They import selected books from independent publishers all over the world, and distribute them to stores in Japan and rest of Asia.
Having previously worked out of shared offices & warehouses since their foundation in 2010, twelvebooks asked DAIKEI MILLS to design their very first office / gallery space, where they would welcome their business associates and select group of private collectors.
The challenge of this project was to design a space that answers the practical side of running a book distribution operation (i.e. housing the thousands of books in stock), while also creating a space that would allow them to display each books with the respect they deserve.
Resulting space is literally a “wall of shelves” leading the visitor from the entrance to the window accessing the balcony. The continuous white shelves are sculpted walls with thick material presence, angled to accommodate the books like a theatre stage.

The wall structure also provide the material presence to hide and separate the office & storage space laying behind. Ceiling has also been lowered with lighting embedded in them, which creates a boxed-in effect that entices the visitors into paying closer attention to the works on display.
To make the most of the simple space, the effect of lighting has been carefully calculated to enhance the overall experience. During the day, the natural light piercing through the Kvadrat curtains creates a relaxing atmosphere. Whereas at night, the same curtains boxes in the light coming from the ceiling and reflected off the white wall structures, producing a crisp glow.