Demolition of Kisho Kurokawa’s 1972 Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo is finally slated to start this week
The rundown building with its 144 grey prefabricated living pods is a rare remaining example of Japanese Metabolism but its future has been in jeopardy for years.
When the building in the Ginza district was originally built, it was planned that the self-contained pods would be repaired or replaced every 25 years. The 13 storey tower was also designed to be a ‘cheap, overnight hostel for workers’ rather than a stack of tiny permanent homes.
Each lightweight steel-truss capsule measures 2.5m by 4m with a 1.3m-diameter circular window over the bed dominating the far end of the room. Resembling a stack of washing-machines, the pods are connected to – and cantilevered off – one of the two main steel-frame and reinforced concrete cores by just four high-tension bolts.
The capsules have a wall of appliances and cabinets built into one side, including a kitchen stove, a refrigerator, a television set, and a reel-to-reel tape deck. The bathroom units are the size of an aircraft lavatory.
In his book Twentieth Century Architecture, Jonathan Glancey wrote: ‘This is the sort of architecture that can be made in basic Lego sets and like Lego bricks, its construction is simple but very clever.
‘Living space is always at a premium in Tokyo, which is why the “living capsule” made sense here, but the tower was also a vivid expression of ideas that had been floating about the globe concerned with the creation of instant cities.
‘The idea that “living capsules” could be added when needed was appealing at a time when technology became available to realise the dream.’
Replica of a sample room, Nakagin Capsule Tower type
Although the units were designed to be detachable and moveable, none were ever replaced and the tower gradually fell into disrepair.
By late 2012, only around 30 of the 140 capsules remained in use as apartments, with others used for storage or simply abandoned. A series of attempts to save the building, including a move to sell off the individual pods, all failed.
According to reports, the building will be covered in scaffolding during the demolition with the capsules ‘plucked off one by one, most likely behind protective sheets of plastic because they contain asbestos’.
Metabolism was a post-war Japanese architectural movement that saw buildings as evolving megastructures that could change, like an organism.
During the run-up TO the 1960 Tokyo World Design Conference, a group of young architects and designers, including Kurokawa, Kiyonori Kikutake, and Fumihiko Maki drew up their metabolism manifesto. This was a series of four essays entitled Ocean City, Space City, Towards Group Form, and Material and Man.
Among the other famous metabolist structures to be realised was Kenzo Tange’s 1967 Yamanashi Press and Broadcasting Centre in Koful, Japan.
Tags demolition Japan Kisho Kurokawa Metabolism
You might also be interested in…
One in four practices have had work put on hold in the…
Pilbrow and Partners’ plan to demolish and rebuild the 1930s Marks and…
Broadway Malyan has submitted revised plans for shops and 1,100 homes at…
Heatherwick Studios has revealed plans to create a 21m-tall sculpture made from…
Let this be a warning to those so foolish as to propose the adaption of shipping containers for housing.
Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion.
We use cookies to personalize and improve your experience on our site. Visit our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy to learn more. You can opt out of some cookies by adjusting your browser settings. More information on how to do this can be found in the cookie policy. By using our site, you agree to our use of cookies.