A tower full of capsules!

On the outskirts of Tokyo's Gizan district is a Nakagin capsule housing tower, which was built in 1972 due to Japan's post-war economic boom. However, the future of it is very uncertain and here I will explain why.

It is very important to point out that this magnificent tower was designed by Kisho Kurokawa, who was a pioneer of the metabolist movement which was an architectural trend of the 1960s that insisted on the idea of buildings as something dynamic and adaptable to a future urban landscape in a state of rapid and constant change. For this reason he created this great tower in 30 days, as Kurokawa's vision was that this building would be the dawn of a new era.

From the outside, the tower can be seen with several washing machines on top of each other, but it is made up of two concrete cores, 11 and 13 stories high, on which detachable cubicles have been placed. Each cubicle has a surface area of about 10 meters, which were prefabricated in an industrial building, so they were fixed to the concrete cores using four high-strength bolts. Not to mention that they have basic appliances and a bathroom similar to that of an airplane.

Sadly upon Kurokawa's death the residents, fed up with the crumbling concrete and leaking pipes, voted to tear down his masterpiece and replace it with a conventional apartment building, but their plan was strangely interrupted a year later, so some residents opted to move out, others converted it into offices and living on site.

Today the tower has been demolished after many years and months of uncertainty and attempts at preservation. The new owners of the tower, however, explained that a team will attempt to preserve some of the capsules and regenerate them as housing units and museum facilities around the world.

I must admit that this strange, but magnificent tower captured my attention not only because of its appearance, but also because of the great history it carries. It is really a pity that after several years of standing it has been destroyed, but the history of this great place will always be captured. It is incredible!

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