Comments on: Nakagin Capsule Tower No More

By: Jean Snow

Jean Snow — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:52:12 +0000

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

By: Steve Lidbury

Steve Lidbury — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:54:20 +0000

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?

By: alin

alin — Sat, 12 May 2007 08:25:00 +0000

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.

By: Jean Snow

Jean Snow — Sat, 12 May 2007 01:39:48 +0000

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

By: alin

alin — Fri, 11 May 2007 08:40:30 +0000

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.

By: travis

travis — Fri, 11 May 2007 01:47:38 +0000

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.

By: Jean Snow

Jean Snow — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:15:56 +0000

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

By: alin

alin — Thu, 10 May 2007 19:31:58 +0000

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

By: Jean Snow

Jean Snow — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:28:45 +0000

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.

By: Keiji

Keiji — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:23:06 +0000

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

By: Jean Snow

Jean Snow — Thu, 10 May 2007 12:03:20 +0000

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.

By: gavin

gavin — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:57:38 +0000

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).

By: Chris Palmieri

Chris Palmieri — Thu, 10 May 2007 07:13:24 +0000

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.

By: sephil

sephil — Thu, 10 May 2007 03:07:53 +0000

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

By: shibo

shibo — Thu, 10 May 2007 02:51:04 +0000

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