JeanSnow.net — Nakagin Capsule Tower No More

I’m usually fine with Tokyo’s chaotic path of renewal, but this is sad.

Kisho Kurokawa’s iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by a new 14-story tower. The Metabolist capsule building consists of 140 units attached to a central core, articulating the ideology behind the Metabolist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which envisioned cities formed of modular components. (Archinect)

Category: Architecture

oh! NO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They should not do this!!!

07.05.10 11:48

Posted by shibo

when is this going to happen?
i have to take a look before it’s been demolished…

07.05.10 11:51

sad sad sad… I seen those capsule featured in many design magazines and are cool looking. They kind of remind me our own Habitat 67 from the same periode…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67

07.05.10 12:07

Posted by sephil

I don’t know enough about architecture or the building to really know whether this is a tragedy or not, but a little maintenance couldn’t have hurt its chances for survival. The stains creeping down the side aren’t quite as charming on these materials as a little crumbling is on old brick.

07.05.10 16:13

Posted by Chris Palmieri

sad yes but has anyone who has commented ever stayed there? the answer might go some way to explaining why the management company have decided to call it quits (or reinvest their interest).

07.05.10 18:57

Posted by gavin

You do have a good point there. Economic reality does play a role here. As cool a building as it is, the capsules themselves (the interior) are definitely dated, and I doubt many people would care to live in them (they’re quite small as well).

As far as the demolition date, I don’t know if one has been announced.

07.05.10 21:03

Posted by Jean Snow

Actually my staff still lives in there.
He said he could stay at least one more year.It’s too small to live (around 10m2) and there are just a windon that doesn’t open.Also there are no kitchen.
Someone said Kurokawa owned several capsel for fighting aginst demolishing.
Omotesando doujyunkai took long time to demolish.It will also need enough time to do.
As architect,my opnion is that
this architecture is definitely a building representing the 20th century, but we do not have a solution to convert this architecture into.The capsule is too small.
And structure and equipments are too difficult to renew against this architect’s concept,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism

07.05.11 0:23

Posted by Keiji

Yeah, seems like it’s just not livable. No kitchen even! Must be quite expensive in the long run to live in one of those capsules.

07.05.11 1:28

there goes my neighbourhood.

the main reason i think is that the company (nakagin) have been screwed for ages. sony are taking care of their osaka kurokawa modular building

07.05.11 4:31

Posted by alin

And to think you had even considered getting a room there!

07.05.11 9:15

yeah, this building is representative of metabolism, but i think it’s kind of fitting for that period of architecture to involved in the birth/death/rebirth process that is so prevalent in this city.

The main reason a lot of buildings can extend their life is because they can function under alternate purposes. This modular building doesn’t really accomodate that kind of reuse.

It’s pretty close to Shiodome and the Hamarikyu (also right next to an elevated freeway), so it’s probably good real estate that is kind of going to waste.

I may be biased, but I wish a lot of the architecture in japan from that period would be part of the rebirth process. It was an era of inventive and alternative ways of thinking, but I think it created a pretty unlivable cityscape. Part of why I approve a lot of recent mega projects like Midtown and the Marunouchi redevelopement. It’s the way this should have been making those regions then, but they were more interested in giving Japan a distinct type of modernism. I don’t think it was successful.

07.05.11 10:47

Posted by travis

what’s kind of stupid is that a lot of the rooms still have all (or many of) the original furnishings which i’m sure museums, design schools etc would like to get their hands on but will end up in the trashbin.

07.05.11 17:40

I think it would be nice if they could at least conserve a few capsules to put on display somewhere.

07.05.12 10:39

for nostalgic conversationists. don’t forget Tange’s Shizuoka Press building, older , more groundbreaking, and conceptually already holding half of Nakagin is only two blocks away in excelent shape.

07.05.12 17:25

I have an unsual photo of Nakajin that I shot a while back, and would love to find a way to put it up on your article - possible?

07.05.14 12:54

Posted by Steve Lidbury

Steve, I got the email you sent me, and will post the image right now.

07.05.14 18:52