Nakagin Capsule Tower: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 35°39′56.20″N 139°45′48.20″E / 35.6656111°N 139.7633889°E / 35.6656111; 139.7633889
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==Design and construction==
==Design and construction==
<gallery mode=packed heights=120px widths=160px caption="Capsule arrangement">
⚫
The building was composed of two interconnected concrete towers, respectively eleven and thirteen floors, which housed 140 self-contained prefabricated capsules. Each capsule measured {{convert|2.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} by {{convert|4.0|m|ft|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|1.3|metre|ft|abbr=on}} diameter window at one end and functioned as a small living or office space. Capsules could be connected and combined to create larger spaces. Each capsule was connected to one of the two main shafts by only four high-tension bolts and was designed to be replaceable. Although the capsules were designed with [[mass production]] in mind, none of the units had been replaced since the original construction.<ref name="ArchDaily"/><ref name="Watanabe 2001, p148-149">Watanabe (2001), p. 148-149</ref>
File:Nakagin capsule arrangement (typ).svg|Typical
File:Nakagin capsule arrangement (bridge deck).svg|Bridge deck
</gallery>
⚫
The building was composed of two interconnected concrete towers, respectively eleven and thirteen floors, which housed 140 self-contained prefabricated capsules in total; each floor had eight capsules per tower, with the exception of a bridge deck connecting the two towers, which had seven capsules per tower. Each capsule measured {{convert|2.5|×|4.0|m|ft|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|1.3|metre|ft|abbr=on}} diameter window at one end and functioned as a small living or office space, with an in-unit bathroom. Capsules could be connected and combined to create larger spaces. Each capsule was connected to one of the two main shafts by only four high-tension bolts and was designed to be replaceable. Although the capsules were designed with [[mass production]] in mind, none of the units had been replaced since the original construction.<ref name="ArchDaily"/><ref name="Watanabe 2001, p148-149">Watanabe (2001), p. 148-149</ref>


The capsules were fitted with utilities and interior fittings before being shipped to the building site, where they were attached to the concrete towers. Each capsule was attached independently and cantilevered from the shaft, so that any capsule could be removed easily without affecting the others. The capsules were all-welded lightweight steel-truss boxes clad in galvanized, rib-reinforced steel panels which had been coated with [[Rustproofing|rust-preventative]] [[paint]] and finished with a coat of [[Kenitex]] glossy spray after processing.
The capsules were fitted with utilities and interior fittings before being shipped to the building site, where they were attached to the concrete towers. Each capsule was attached independently and cantilevered from the shaft, so that any capsule could be removed easily without affecting the others. The capsules were all-welded lightweight steel-truss boxes clad in galvanized, rib-reinforced steel panels which had been coated with [[Rustproofing|rust-preventative]] [[paint]] and finished with a coat of [[Kenitex]] glossy spray after processing.


<gallery mode=packed heights=120px widths=160px caption="Typical capsule in Nakagin Capsule Tower">
<gallery mode=packed heights=120px widths=160px caption="Typical capsule design & interior">
File:Nakagin floor plan.svg|Floor plan
File:Nakagin floor plan.svg|Floor plan
File:Nakagin kapsula erreplika Donostia 2019 Mugak 01.jpg|Replica of a sample room
File:Nakagin kapsula erreplika Donostia 2019 Mugak 01.jpg|Replica of a sample room
Line 33: Line 37:
File:Nakagin_Capsule_Tower_(51473888806).jpg|Bathroom
File:Nakagin_Capsule_Tower_(51473888806).jpg|Bathroom
</gallery>
</gallery>
The cores were rigid-frame, made of a steel frame and reinforced concrete. From the basement to the second floor, ordinary concrete was used; above those levels, lightweight concrete was used. Shuttering consisted of large panels the height of a single storey of the tower. In order to make early use of the staircase, precast concrete was used in the floor plates and the elevator shafts. Because of the pattern in which two days of steel-frame work were followed by two days of precast-concrete work, the staircase was completely operational by the time the framework was finished. On-site construction of the elevators was shortened by incorporating the 3-D frames, the rails, and anchor indicator boxes in the precast concrete elements and by employing prefabricated cages.
The cores were rigid-frame, made of a steel frame and reinforced concrete. From the basement to the second floor, ordinary concrete was used; above those levels, lightweight concrete was used. Shuttering consisted of large panels the height of a single storey of the tower. In order to make early use of the staircase, precast concrete was used in the floor plates and the elevator shafts. Because the construction schedule used a repeating pattern of two days of steel-frame work, followed by two days of precast-concrete work, the staircase was completely operational by the time the framework was finished. On-site construction of the elevators was shortened by incorporating the 3-D frames, the rails, and anchor indicator boxes in the precast concrete elements and by employing prefabricated cages.


The original target demographic was bachelor Tōkyō [[salarymen]].<ref name="NYT070709">[[Nicolai Ouroussoff]], [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/arts/design/07capsule.html Architecture: Future Vision Banished to the Past], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 7, 2009, Accessed July 7, 2009.</ref> The compact [[pied-à-terre|pieds-à-terre]] included a wall of appliances and cabinets built into one side, including a kitchen stove, a refrigerator, a television set, and a [[Reel-to-reel audio tape recording|reel-to-reel tape deck]]. A bathroom unit, about the size of an [[aircraft lavatory]], was set into an opposite corner. A large circular window over the bed dominated the far end of the room.<ref name=NYT070709 /> Optional extras such as a stereo were also originally available.<ref name="Watanabe 2001, p148-149"/>
The original target demographic was bachelor Tōkyō [[salarymen]].<ref name="NYT070709">{{cite news |author-link=Nicolai Ouroussoff |first=Nicolai |last=Ouroussoff |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/arts/design/07capsule.html |title=Architecture: Future Vision Banished to the Past |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 7, 2009 |access-date=July 7, 2009}}</ref> The compact [[pied-à-terre|pieds-à-terre]] included a wall of appliances and cabinets built into one side, including a kitchen stove, a refrigerator, a television set, and a [[Reel-to-reel audio tape recording|reel-to-reel tape deck]]. A bathroom unit, about the size of an [[aircraft lavatory]], was set into an opposite corner. A large circular window over the bed dominated the far end of the room.<ref name=NYT070709 /> Optional extras such as a stereo were also originally available.<ref name="Watanabe 2001, p148-149"/>


The architect said that this building reflected that [[asymmetry]] is part of the Japanese tradition.<ref name="Leete">{{cite web|url=https://www.archdaily.com/980305/kisho-kurokawas-nakagin-capsule-tower-in-visually-captivating-film-koshuu?kth=6,195,548 |title=Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower in Visually Captivating Film 'Koshuu' |first1= Rebecca Ildikó |last1=Leete |work=ArchDaily |format=Video |date=April 17, 2022}}</ref>
The architect said that this building reflected that [[asymmetry]] is part of the Japanese tradition.<ref name="Leete">{{cite web|url=https://www.archdaily.com/980305/kisho-kurokawas-nakagin-capsule-tower-in-visually-captivating-film-koshuu?kth=6,195,548 |title=Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower in Visually Captivating Film 'Koshuu' |first1= Rebecca Ildikó |last1=Leete |work=ArchDaily |format=Video |date=April 17, 2022}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:54, 29 November 2023

Nakagin Capsule Tower Building
Map
General information
TypeResidential, office
Architectural styleMetabolism
Location8 Chome-16-10 Ginza, Chūō-ku, Tōkyō-to 104-0061, Japan
Coordinates35°39′56.20″N 139°45′48.20″E / 35.6656111°N 139.7633889°E / 35.6656111; 139.7633889
Construction started1970
Completed1972
Demolished2022
Technical details
Floor count13
Floor area3,091.23 m2 (33,273.7 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Kisho Kurokawa

The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building[a] was a mixed-use residential and office tower in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa. Completed in two years from 1970 to 1972,[1] the building was a rare remaining example of Japanese Metabolism[2] (alongside the older Kyoto International Conference Center), an architectural movement emblematic of Japan's postwar cultural resurgence. It was the world's first example of capsule architecture ostensibly built for permanent and practical use. The building, however, fell into disrepair. Around thirty of the 140 capsules were still in use as apartments by October 2012, while others were used for storage or office space, or simply abandoned and allowed to deteriorate. As recently as August 2017 capsules could still be rented (relatively inexpensively, considering its Ginza locale), although the waiting list was long.[3]

In 2022, demolition of the building was initiated.[4] Attempts to raise funds to save it and campaigns to preserve it as a historic landmark were unsuccessful.[5][6][7] The tower was scheduled to be disassembled starting April 12, 2022, with component units repurposed.[3][5]

Design and construction

  • Capsule arrangement
  • Typical
    Typical
  • Bridge deck
    Bridge deck

The building was composed of two interconnected concrete towers, respectively eleven and thirteen floors, which housed 140 self-contained prefabricated capsules in total; each floor had eight capsules per tower, with the exception of a bridge deck connecting the two towers, which had seven capsules per tower. Each capsule measured 2.5 m × 4.0 m (8.2 ft × 13.1 ft) with a 1.3 m (4.3 ft) diameter window at one end and functioned as a small living or office space, with an in-unit bathroom. Capsules could be connected and combined to create larger spaces. Each capsule was connected to one of the two main shafts by only four high-tension bolts and was designed to be replaceable. Although the capsules were designed with mass production in mind, none of the units had been replaced since the original construction.[3][8]

The capsules were fitted with utilities and interior fittings before being shipped to the building site, where they were attached to the concrete towers. Each capsule was attached independently and cantilevered from the shaft, so that any capsule could be removed easily without affecting the others. The capsules were all-welded lightweight steel-truss boxes clad in galvanized, rib-reinforced steel panels which had been coated with rust-preventative paint and finished with a coat of Kenitex glossy spray after processing.

  • Typical capsule design & interior
  • Floor plan
    Floor plan
  • Replica of a sample room
    Replica of a sample room
  • Reverse angle, looking toward entrance
    Reverse angle, looking toward entrance
  • Bathroom
    Bathroom

The cores were rigid-frame, made of a steel frame and reinforced concrete. From the basement to the second floor, ordinary concrete was used; above those levels, lightweight concrete was used. Shuttering consisted of large panels the height of a single storey of the tower. In order to make early use of the staircase, precast concrete was used in the floor plates and the elevator shafts. Because the construction schedule used a repeating pattern of two days of steel-frame work, followed by two days of precast-concrete work, the staircase was completely operational by the time the framework was finished. On-site construction of the elevators was shortened by incorporating the 3-D frames, the rails, and anchor indicator boxes in the precast concrete elements and by employing prefabricated cages.

The original target demographic was bachelor Tōkyō salarymen.[9] The compact pieds-à-terre included a wall of appliances and cabinets built into one side, including a kitchen stove, a refrigerator, a television set, and a reel-to-reel tape deck. A bathroom unit, about the size of an aircraft lavatory, was set into an opposite corner. A large circular window over the bed dominated the far end of the room.[9] Optional extras such as a stereo were also originally available.[8]

The architect said that this building reflected that asymmetry is part of the Japanese tradition.[10]

Construction occurred both on- and off-site. On-site work included the two towers with their energy-supply systems and equipment, while the capsule parts were fabricated and assembled at a factory. Nobuo Abe was a senior manager, managing one of the design divisions on the construction of the Nakagin Capsule Tower.

Demolition and update proposals

31-second video of the Nakagin Capsule Tower

The capsules could be individually removed or replaced, but at a cost: when demolition was being considered in 2006, it was estimated that renovation would require around 6.2 million yen per capsule. The original concept was that individual capsules would be repaired or replaced every 25 years; but the capsules deteriorated since the repairs were never done.[3]

80% of the capsule owners had to approve demolition,[11] which was first achieved on April 15, 2007. A majority of capsule owners, citing squalid, cramped conditions as well as concerns over asbestos, voted to demolish the building and replace it with a much larger, more modern tower.[9][12] In the interest of preserving his design, Kurokawa proposed taking advantage of the flexible design by "unplugging" the existing boxes and replacing them with updated units. The plan was supported by the major architectural associations of Japan, including the Japan Institute of Architects; but the residents countered with concerns over the building's earthquake resistance and its inefficient use of valuable property adjacent to the high-value Ginza.[12] Kurokawa died in 2007, and for a time a developer for renovation had yet to be found, partly because of the late-2000s recession.[9]

Opposing slated demolition, Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, described Nakagin Capsule Tower as "gorgeous architecture; like all great buildings, it is the crystallization of a far-reaching cultural ideal. Its existence also stands as a powerful reminder of paths not taken, of the possibility of worlds shaped by different sets of values."[9]

The hot water to the building was shut off in 2010.[13] In 2014 Masato Abe, a capsule owner, former resident and founder of the "Save Nakagin Tower" project stated that the project attempted to gain donations from around the world to purchase all of the capsules and preserve the building.[11]

In May 2021, a number of outlets reported that the management company of the building had voted to sell the complex to the original landowner, reigniting speculation over potential demolition and redevelopment.[14] As of November 2021, the building houses 20 tenants.[13] An attempt to sell it to a new owner fell through.[13]

The demolition of the tower began on April 12, 2022.[15] Some individual capsules may be preserved or recycled.[3]

Digital archive

Overlay the digital content of the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building on the physical world through augmented reality created by the 3D Digital Archive Project.

Demolition of the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building began on April 12, 2022. Since the building was regarded as a masterpiece of Metabolist architecture, a project team led by Gluon had launched a 3D digital archiving project to preserve the entire building in 3D data in order to preserve its architectural value. In this project, the entire building was scanned using a combination of laser scan data that accurately measures distances in millimeters and more than 20,000 photographs taken by cameras and drones. Augmented reality of the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building was also unveiled.[16][17][18][19][20]

In popular culture

  • Nakagin Capsule Tower was featured in the 2013 superhero film The Wolverine as a love hotel in Hiroshima Prefecture.[21]
  • A building inspired by the Nakagin Capsule Tower appears in the 1994 video game Transport Tycoon.[22]
  • Three documentaries have mentioned the tower as well:
    • Residents of the Nakagin Tower were interviewed in the 2010 documentary Japanese Metabolist Landmark on the Edge of Destruction.[23]
    • Kisho Kurokawa was filmed in the tower for Kochuu (2003), directed by Jesper Wachtmeister,[24] in which he expresses the opinion that "In the background there is still invisible Japanese tradition". He admires the Nakagin capsule tower as the first of capsule architecture built for permanent and practical use. The film explores the influence and origins of Modernist Japanese architecture.[10]
    • Kurokawa was also filmed in the tower for Kisho Kurokawa: From Metabolism to Symbiosis (1993).[25]
  • Photographer Noritaka Minami published 1972, a photo book of the decaying tower, in 2016.[26]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: 中銀カプセルタワービル, Hepburn: Nakagin Kapuseru Tawā Biru

References

  1. ^ Koolhaas & Obrist (2011), p. 388
  2. ^ Kurokawa, Kishō (28 March 2009) [1977.]. Metabolism in architecture. London: Studio Vista. p. 105. ISBN 9780289707333.
  3. ^ a b c d e Stouhi, Dima (3 April 2022). "Nakagin Capsule Tower to be Demolished Mid-April". ArchDaily. Last year, Kisho Kurokawa Architects and Urban Design Office Chiyoda-ku announced that they aim to dismantle the iconic architecture and reuse its capsules as accommodation units and museum installations. The regeneration plan follows the initial concept of "Metabolism", re-configurating the elements instead of complete demolition, all sourced through crowdfunding campaigns, which has already begun on the Motion Gallery site since July 2nd to fund the repairs of the capsules being donated to museums.
  4. ^ Russell, Chris (12 April 2022). "Demolition of Tokyo's iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower officially begins". The Japan Times. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b "CNN: Tokyo's iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower to be demolished". CNN. 6 April 2022.
  6. ^ "An ode to Tokyo's Nakagin Capsule Tower". The Economist. 12 April 2022.
  7. ^ Falor, Sanskriti. Explained Desk, Editor New Delhi (April 7, 2022) Explained Why Japan's Nakagin Capsule Tower Being Demolished Indian Express
  8. ^ a b Watanabe (2001), p. 148-149
  9. ^ a b c d e Ouroussoff, Nicolai (7 July 2009). "Architecture: Future Vision Banished to the Past". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  10. ^ a b Leete, Rebecca Ildikó (17 April 2022). "Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower in Visually Captivating Film 'Koshuu'" (Video). ArchDaily.
  11. ^ a b Forster, Katie Tokyo’s tiny capsules of architectural flair October 3, 2014 Japan Times Wayback Machine copy as of December 30, 2016
  12. ^ a b Yuki Solomon, Kurokawa’s Capsule Tower To Be Razed, Architectural Record, April 30, 2007, Google cache version retrieved December 5, 2018.
  13. ^ a b c McCurry, Justin (9 November 2021). "Decaying but beloved, Tokyo's Capsule Tower faces uncertain future". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Tokyo's Nakagin Capsule Tower faces renewed threats of demolition". 12 May 2021.
  15. ^ Stevenson, Reed (9 April 2022). "Farewell Capsule Tower, Tokyo's Oddest Building". Bloomberg CityLab. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  16. ^ "銀座の中銀カプセルタワービルがついに解体、3Dデジタルアーカイブ化始動". TimeOutTokyo. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  17. ^ "解体始まる「中銀カプセルタワービル」を丸ごと3D化 保存プロジェクトがスタート". ITmedia. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  18. ^ "黒川紀章設計の「中銀カプセルタワービル」 3Dスキャンで記録に残すプロジェクトが始動". AXIS. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  19. ^ "黒川紀章設計のメタボリズム建築「中銀カプセルタワービル」を3Dデータで記録に残すプロジェクトが始動". ADFwebmagazine. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Gluon 'using 3D data to save' the Nakagin Capsule Tower". dezeen. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  21. ^ Movie Locations for The Wolverine Archived 2014-07-15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 15, 2016
  22. ^ Transport Tycoon graphics and their real life counterparts
  23. ^ Nakagin Capsule Tower: Japanese Metabolist Landmark on the Edge of Destruction Nakagin Capsule Tower at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  24. ^ Kochuu Nakagin Capsule Tower at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  25. ^ Kisho Kurokawa: From Metabolism to Symbiosis 1993 Nakagin Capsule Tower at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  26. ^ Recurring views of Tokyo’s utopian dream Mar 12, 2016 Japan Times Retrieved March 15, 2016

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nakagin Capsule Tower.
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