Metabolism in Japan
Metabolism was a post-war Japanese architectural movement. It was an philosophy focused on planning for cities future growth, and creating modular buildings which could actually grow as populations did. It largely remained theoretical, but there were a few buildings built in this style.
Nakagin Capsule Tower
Kisho Kurokawa, one of the founders of the Metabolism movement was also the architectect for the Nakagin Capsule Tower, one of the few remaining examples of Metabolism in Japan. It is located in Simbashi, Tokyo, and was completed in 1972. The structure consists of two towers and 140 capsules that are connected to them. The capsules measure 2.3 m by 3.8 m by 2.1 m (7.5 by 12 by 6.9 feet) and each contains a large circular window and a small bathroom. Some of the capsules were used as apartments and some were used as offices. As of 2012 only about 30 of the capsules are still used as apartments, the rest are either used as offices, used for storage or have been entirely abandoned. There have been some attempts to demolish the building due to its poor condition and prime real estate, but many people have fought to preserve it due to its historical and cultural value.
Kurokawa only intended the capsules to last about 25 years. The idea behind the tower was that capsules could be replaced, or additional capsules could be added. However, that has never actually happened. Regardless, The Nakagin Capsule Tower is a great example of rethinking apartment buildings, and a different possible route city planning could have taken. I personally like the idea of an evolving city that doesn’t require demolishing old buildings since they are built to be upgradable. Although I also see how the idea is at odds with the current culture of always wanting the “newest thing” and simply discarding the old. However, there have been some more recent critiques of that ideal, especially when it comes to technology. For example, Phoneblocks is currently developing an upgradable phone that is meant to last, an idea at odds with the 2 to 3 year replacement cycle most phones are on..[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” interval=”3″ images=”1403,1405,1406,1407″ display_title_caption=”true” layout=”4″ gallery_style=”2″ onclick=”link_image” custom_links_target=”_self” img_size=”1200×1200″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″]
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Image Sources
“Nakagin” by Jordy Meow – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakagin.jpg#/media/File:Nakagin.jpg
“Nakagin Capsule Tower3” by d’n’c. Licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/fukagawa/3022469599
“Nakagin Capsule Tower10” by d’n’c. Licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/fukagawa/3023297922
“Nakagin Capsule Tower9” by d’n’c. Licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/fukagawa/3023298054
“Nakagin Capsule Tower8” by d’n’c. Licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/fukagawa/3023298244
“Nakagin Capsule Tower” by Dick Thomas Johnson. Licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/31029865@N06/6851232081
“Nakagin Capsule Tower” by Dick Thomas Johnson. Licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/31029865@N06/6851232391
“Nakagin Capsule Tower.” by MIKI Yoshihito. Licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/mujitra/5358903674[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]