THE LAST SET OF RECORDS FOR NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWER, A KEY ELEMENT OF THE METABOLIST MOVEMENT, FEATURES ITS PHOTOGRAPHS AND PROVIDES A GLIMPSE INTO THE DIVERSE LIFESTYLES OF INHABITANTS
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN
(For Thai, press here)
Nakagin Capsule Tower: The Last Record
Nakagin Capsule Tower Building Preservation and Regeneration Project
Soshisha publishing, 2022
223 x 199 mm
204 pages
ISBN 978-479-422-559-7
As implied by its title, ‘Nakagin Capsule Tower: The Last Record’ represents the final documentation before the demolition of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, a legendary building designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and completed in 1972.
The architecture of Nakagin Capsule Tower is historically significant as it once exemplified the Metabolist Movement, which envisioned the development of megastructures or large building complexes for future cities. Kurokawa, who was a key proponent of this radical Japanese architectural movement, had experimented with what is known as capsule architecture—a modular design featuring subunits shaped like capsules. Besides designing pavilions for Expo ’70 in Osaka using this concept, Kurokawa also designed residential buildings known as capsule houses. His work greatly impressed the Nakagin development company, who subsequently commissioned him to design a mixed-use building in downtown Tokyo.
Fifty years after its completion in 1972, the Nakagin Capsule Tower was finally relegated to history following several protests and multiple heartfelt ‘save Nakagin’ campaigns, which ultimately could not prevent its demolition. Published in 2022, ‘Nakagin Capsule Tower: The Last Record’ is a comprehensive archive of this iconic structure’s concluding chapter. It features over 400 photographs depicting the 114 capsule units of Buildings A and B. Highlights include photographs that detail the living conditions of some of the units along with floor plans, showcasing the diverse lifestyles of the inhabitants during the building’s final days.
Produced by the Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project, this record is part of a broader effort to memorialize the building’s legacy. While the book chronicles the end, the project itself has managed to salvage 23 of these architectural capsules. Notably, capsule unit A1302 has found a new home at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Of the preserved capsules, 16 have found new destinations, with two permanently exhibited, and an additional five are slated for installation along the Kanagawa coast south of Tokyo.
