Naiki Saito

A passageway into manga

'Passageway’ is a manga retail experience located in the heart of Newmarket, encouraging the public to ease into the world of comics and manga. The store embodies the idea of creating a bridge and passageway, introducing the at-times misunderstood niche world of manga and comics to a wide demographic of people. The design accommodates the dwelling experience, allowing users to be guided by the layout to explore by themselves and be eased into this unfamiliar medium. The dark wood, accents of green and light oak palette are used to be reminiscent of the bookstore aesthetic and atmosphere, creating familiarity and enhancing comfortability. The space includes an introductory manga gallery upon entering, a pinboard for book recommendations down the centre of the space and a bookmark-making kiosk where users are able to have a creative experience to celebrate the art of manga and comics.