Strike while the knowledge is hot.

A place to encounter the unknown and generate new knowledge.

Maruzen Junkudo has opened a new type of bookstore, "magmabooks," in Toranomon Hills Glass Rock. Konel was responsible for exploring the future of bookstores, handling the overall concept design, experience planning, store naming, copywriting, and logo development for the store.

Issue

Bookstores have long been an essential space for accessing information, with books as the crystallization of knowledge. Over time, various functions, such as cafes, have been added to enhance the reading experience. Magmabooks aims to evolve the bookstore concept even further by focusing on intellectual excitement and creativity. It offers a space where visitors can fully immerse themselves in the journey of reading—before, during, and after—creating a new chapter in the history of bookstores.

Creation

Experience design that accompanies you before, during, and after reading.

Aiming to create the next-generation bookstore that sparks human creativity, the name "magmabooks" was chosen to evoke the feeling of intellectual excitement bubbling up.

While bookstores have always been a great place for gaining new inspiration, the space for visitors to output the intellectual excitement and ideas they experience has been limited. "magmabooks"takes this a step further by not only offering "bookshelves that spark inspiration," but also creating a "space that draws out creativity" through a cycle of focus and relaxation, ensuring that inspiration doesn't fade away.
By designing a holistic experience before, during, and after reading, "magmabooks" aims to support the intellectual excitement of reading, creating a bridge to the future, rather than just marking the end of the reading process.
The bookstore features a new "Knowledge Forest" bookshelf area, where visitors can explore book encounters like a stroll through the woods. To encourage new discoveries, it includes a "Question Walk" where visitors can explore the shelves while carrying a question in hand. Additionally, the "magma Lounge" is designed as a space to boost creativity and allow for outputs, providing an environment that draws out creativity through the full reading experience.

Question Walk (2nd Floor)

The Question Walk offers an experience where visitors can stroll through the Knowledge Forest while holding a question in hand. The questions vary from big ones, like "Is the Earth a kind of experiment?" to more personal inquiries, such as "Why do we feel so relaxed when we look at plants?" Each question is accompanied by a selection of books chosen by Maruzen Junkudo bookstore staff, providing thoughtful answers or perspectives. This encourages visitors to seek out new encounters with books, explore different viewpoints, and engage in deep reflection while wandering through the Knowledge Forest with a question in hand.

magma lounge (3rd Floor)

“magma lounge” is designed to enhance creativity through a cycle of focus and relaxation. It features two distinct zones:
FOCUS Zone – A space where visitors can immerse themselves fully in reading, work, or other tasks, allowing for deep concentration.
CALM Zone – A relaxing space where one can break free from intense focus, encouraging mental relaxation and renewal.
By moving between these two zones, visitors experience the "pendulum effect" of alternating between concentration and relaxation, which stimulates creativity and nurtures fresh ideas. This design facilitates a balanced flow of energy, supporting both focused work and mental rejuvenation, ultimately fostering a conducive environment for creative output.

Immersive Zone <FOCUS>
A semi-private space with a hexagonal honeycomb structure designed to help you focus. It features neuro-music provided by VIE and a lighting environment using OLED (organic LED) technology from Kaneka, all aimed at enhancing deep concentration.

Relaxation Zone <CALM>
A space designed to release you from focus and ease your mind. Created through collaboration between YAMAHA and Konel, it features sounds from natural phenomena, developed through the sound biotope initiative, where the sound of dripping water fills the space, soothing both the mind and spirit, fostering creativity and relaxation.

Future

A bookstore as a space for exploring creativity.

After opening, we established "magma lab" as a hub for real-time experimentation in the pursuit of knowledge, from the perspective of "Creative Science." This partnership continues with companies possessing diverse skills, fostering collaboration for creativity-enhancing experiments. We welcome further collaboration with specialized players in the future.