Nakagin Capsule Tower

On the edge of Ginza stands what looks like a precarious heap of run-down washing machines. The Nakagin Capsule Tower, comprising 140 individual capsules, was once a beacon of modern architecture but is now a relic of 1970s Tokyo. The building is in need of costly repairs, and according to Asahi Shimbun could soon be sold, making its future uncertain. But for now, you still have a chance to see it from the inside and get a glimpse of what it's like to live in a prime example of Japanese Metabolist architecture.

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"Europeans understand the need to preserve buildings like this, whereas Japan is still guided by a pull-down-and-rebuild mentality," says Maeda, who resolved to buy a Nakagin capsule while gazing at the building from his old workplace.

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The futuristic-looking Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo will be demolished next month, its owners say, after a long battle to save the building and its space-age units. The tower, completed in 1972 and designed by renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa, is a landmark of the Metabolism movement, which aimed to create sustainable living spaces that people could take with them if they moved. Its dozens of capsules with large round windows were designed to be individually removed and replaced, but have instead remained there in an increasing state of disrepair. The owners plan to extract some of the white cuboid capsules before demolition begins on April 12, Tatsuyuki Maeda, who refitted several of them himself, told AFP on Tuesday. "We don't know yet how many capsules we'll be able to save, but we plan to repair some deteriorated parts and refurbish them to send them to museums, for example," said Maeda, who bought his first capsule in the tower in 2010. "It's not a complete end to the building, and I'm looking forward to seeing the capsules' new life."

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thomas said:

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Petaris said:

I only see a white square.

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thomas said:

Some of the capsules will be preserved though.

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NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWER

After the building was dismantled due to ageing in 2022, the Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project, a citizen group which works to preserve the building, took and stored 23 capsules and discussed how to utilise them. The Ginza Six commercial complex took advantage of this. [...] The capsule measures about 4 meters in width and 2.5 meters in height and is exhibited at the entrance of Ginza Six. The capsule's interior is a recreation of the original design, including a blue carpet. Records that were popular in the 1970s and '80s are displayed inside, and visitors can feel the atmosphere of the era of the building's construction. While visitors cannot enter the capsule, they can look inside through a round window and take pictures. Foreign tourists stopped in front of the capsule and enthusiastically took pictures of it.

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