TANKA Shelf

A distinctly Japanese shelf conceived by Gabriel Tan, a designer drawing wide attention in the world of product design. True to his own words― "I focused on proportion and restraint, creating a good host for one's most personal things" ―each part has been finely crafted, completing a refined shelving piece for living alongside the things you love.
Tan drew his motif from the hardcover book, translating its geometric form into the shelf's frame. Each shelf board is finished with veneer edging on all four sides, achieving an expression nearly indistinguishable from solid wood. The front edge takes the sharp profile of a book's foredge, while the back recreates the curve of a spine, giving the whole shelf a complex, beautiful play of shadow. The evenly spaced dividers are shaped to blend in once books are placed against them, and combined with horizontal dividers, they invite a wide variety of arrangements and displays.

Product(s) Information

Wood - Finish: Japanese Ash NF / WNF / MBR / DBR / GY / DGY / BL
Japanese Elm KESHIZUMI Gray / Kasumi White
Size: Shelf 180-4
w:1800 d:330 h:1275

Shelf 180-3
w:1800 d:330 h:995

Shelf 180-2
w:1800 d:330 h:665

Shelf 180-1
w:1800 d:330 h:375

Shelf 150-4
w:1500 d:330 h:1275

Shelf 150-3
w:1500 d:330 h:995

Shelf 150-2
w:1500 d:330 h:665

Shelf 150-1
w:1500 d:330 h:375

Shelf 120-4
w:1200 d:330 h:1275

Shelf 120-3
w:1200 d:330 h:995

Shelf 120-2
w:1200 d:330 h:665

Shelf 120-1
w:1200 d:330 h:375

*Accessory: height adjusters
Photo: Shelf 180-4
Japanese Elm Kasumi White

Designer

Gabriel Tan

Gabriel Tan (b. 1982, Singapore) is a furniture and product designer based between Singapore and Porto, Portugal. He came to design via an unorthodox path, discovering it through industrial design books at a public library while training as a naval combat officer. After co-founding the international design collective Outofstock, he established his independent practice, Gabriel Tan Studio, in 2016. Through the subtle synthesis of Asian and European influences, his work reinterprets tradition, craft, and technology in a sustainable, socially conscious way. He currently provides designs for global brands and also serves as creative director of a Japanese furniture brand. In 2025, he received Singapore's President's Design Award for Designer of the Year, the nation's highest design honour.

See Designer’s Profile

Description

Wood - Finish

Click Selection of Wood - Finish

Japanese Ash NF

Japanese Ash WNF

Japanese Ash MBR

Japanese Ash DBR

Japanese Ash GY

Japanese Ash DGY

Japanese Ash BL

Japanese Elm KESHIZUMI Gray

Japanese Elm Kasumi White

Click on a thumbnail to open a large image

: Washable Upholstery

: Dry-cleanable Upholstery

: Product adopted the molded urethane foams for the cushion parts.
● About Molded Urethane Foams
A molded foam, a technical method, is made by filling a mixture of raw materials to compound in a shaping mold.
This method helps creating ideal fine lines and fluffiness which add variety in designs.
It is able to produce one-piece molding with built in flame also save raw materials. The biggest benefit of it is that the long lasting comfort.

: Product adopted molded urethane foams for the cushion parts of seats
● About Molded Urethane Foams
A molded foam, a technical method, is made by filling a mixture of raw materials to compound in a shaping mold.
This method helps creating ideal fine lines and fluffiness which add variety in designs.
It is able to produce one-piece molding with built in flame also save raw materials. The biggest benefit of it is that the long lasting comfort.