from PingMag

The Nakagin Capsule Tower, an exercise in Metabolist architecture.
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” Once you arrive in Tokyo’s busy commercial district of Shimbashi, a short walk from the station brings you to a noisy highway overpass, and beside that the futuristic Nakagin Capsule Tower. The tower’s stunning design may strike passersby as something straight out of a science-fiction movie, but it stands as a unique architectural beacon amongst the common apartment high-rises and office buildings of Ginza. Designed by the late Japanese architect Kurokawa Kisho, the 14-story tower is composed of 140 individual capsules that function as apartments and business offices. The tower has also served as a prototype of sorts for uniquely Japanese urban accommodations, such as business and capsule hotels.

Seen at an angle, the protruding capsules are clearly visible.
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Written by Blair McBride

But the future of the tower is uncertain. For various reasons, including maintenance concerns and a lack of local support for preservation, the building will be demolished in less than two years unless a substantial preservation plan can be formed and accepted. The possible demolition would be a disappointing loss for Japanese architecture, as few of Kurokawa’s Metabolist buildings remain in Japan.”

Read the rest here
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