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The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

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Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#21

Post by CiceroCiceronis »

Metabolism (the architectural movement that underpinned the Capsule Tower) fascinates me because of its grand scope, one that sought to build an entire society that would suit the needs of the modern person. A building like the Capsule Tower was only a small part of a totalising vision which included ideas for reimagining the Tokyo Bay with vast arcologies.

For those interested in Metabolism a fascinating book on the subject is Rem Koolhaas’ “Project Japan - Metabolism Talks” from Taschen. I’ve only just begun to read it and the level of detail is illuminating.

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#22

Post by nitwit005 »

loloquwowndueo wrote: post #2

Travelling to the 70s must feel like going to the future: these futuristic capsule buildings existed, supersonic air travel was commonplace, and there were humans travelling to the moon. The epitome of modernity these days is how fast your car videos can load.

At least from a Japanese point of view, the 70s were a bit depressing because that was the end of their economic boom.

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#23

Post by rodgerd »

I think that "It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the metabolists failed because the buildings they produced weren’t metabolic enough to cope with the ever-changing needs of the city’s inhabitants. Surely, preservation of their work as some kind of cultural relic would be the last thing that the young radicals of the late ’60s and early ’70s would have wanted." is the key quote. I'm sad to see an interesting building go, but it seems like a failed experiment, rather than a monument that should be preserved.

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#24

Post by gimmeThaBeet »

teruakohatu wrote: post #7

It reminds me of Canada's Habitat 67, which is also made up of prefabricated concrete rooms and sealed bathroom units. Designed as cheap housing for the future, it is now luxery housing but residents have to put up with similar problems such as a pipe burst in one apartment causes major problems. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67

I always really loved how Habitat 67 looked, whatever practicality issues aside hah.

I also really love The Interlace in Singapore, but I have no idea how you could be expected to navigate it if you are unfamiliar. I wonder how it is for service providers etc to find units. The layout when you see it from above makes more sense, but only slightly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Interlace

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#25

Post by fhbfjgdjbc »

GekkePrutser wrote: post #12
teruakohatu wrote: post #7

It reminds me of Canada's Habitat 67, which is also made up of prefabricated concrete rooms and sealed bathroom units. Designed as cheap housing for the future, it is now luxery housing but residents have to put up with similar problems such as a pipe burst in one apartment causes major problems. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67

In the Netherlands they use converted shipping containers as student housing. Also stacked fairly randomly and in different colours. Looked really cool. There was one such complex nearby where I lived. But it didn't turn out well, because of the cheap and fairly indestructible accomodations, the rental agencies filled these up with 'problematic' tenants rather than students and it turned into a slum pretty quickly. T…

It's been tried in a lot of places. There are many problems with the idea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_container_architectur...

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#26

Post by doggodaddo78 »

When you design for architectural and humanist ideals only, but don't design for maintenance or renovation, then any claims of renovation, renewal, or timelessness are moot, wishful, unattained aspirations.

Practicality first, then form, because a building in a high-value area has to be fundamentally useful or it becomes a spectacle, art, and/or blight.

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#28

Post by nereye »

nitwit005 wrote: post #22
loloquwowndueo wrote: post #2

Travelling to the 70s must feel like going to the future: these futuristic capsule buildings existed, supersonic air travel was commonplace, and there were humans travelling to the moon. The epitome of modernity these days is how fast your car videos can load.

At least from a Japanese point of view, the 70s were a bit depressing because that was the end of their economic boom.

Maybe you’re thinking of the 90s?

The ‘lost decade’ is considered to have started in 1991, see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decade_(Japan) and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_economic_miracle.

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#29

Post by papaf »

rbg246 wrote: post #9
loloquwowndueo wrote: post #2

Travelling to the 70s must feel like going to the future: these futuristic capsule buildings existed, supersonic air travel was commonplace, and there were humans travelling to the moon. The epitome of modernity these days is how fast your car videos can load.

Having a total of 20 supersonic airlines wasn't exactly common place. And spending 1.5% of your GDP to send like ten people to the moon probably isn't that great an achievement from a cost benefit analysis (I know there will be fierce disagreement). Not taking away from how amazing those things are but we have billions of computers that connect most people in the world together which in my opinion just insanely amazi…

Not taking away from how amazing those things are but we have billions of computers that connect most people in the world together which in my opinion just insanely amazing.

The 70s looks at your example of progress, thinks of it as a big ARPANET and is not impressed.

Re: The Last Days of Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower

#30

Post by TeMPOraL »

kiba wrote: post #20
loloquwowndueo wrote: post #2

Travelling to the 70s must feel like going to the future: these futuristic capsule buildings existed, supersonic air travel was commonplace, and there were humans travelling to the moon. The epitome of modernity these days is how fast your car videos can load.

Today, we're working on building retro sci-fi style rockets with volume greater than the ISS. Pretty exciting time to be alive.

Yes, though this and electric cars both required a single man with combination of wealth, charisma and ability to think beyond their own wallet - which is a very rare set of characteristics to coincide in a single person - who then could drag the market kicking and screaming into accepting EVs and reusable rockets. Unfortunately, depending on such happenstance doesn't scale, so it's not a reliable way of creating a better future.
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