TOKYO — The futuristic-looking
Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo will be demolished next month, its owners say, after a
long battle to save the building and its space-age units.
اضافة اعلان
The tower, completed in 1972 and designed by
renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa, is a landmark of the Metabolism movement,
which aimed to create sustainable living spaces that people could take with
them if they moved.
Its dozens of capsules with large round windows were
designed to be individually removed and replaced, but have instead remained
there in an increasing state of disrepair.
The owners plan to extract some of the white cuboid
capsules before demolition begins on April 12, Tatsuyuki Maeda, who refitted
several of them himself, told AFP on Tuesday.
“We don’t know yet how many capsules we’ll be able
to save, but we plan to repair some deteriorated parts and refurbish them to
send them to museums, for example,” said Maeda, who bought his first capsule in
the tower in 2010.
“It’s not a complete end to the building, and I’m
looking forward to seeing the capsules’ new life.”
The company started by Kurokawa, who died in 2007,
is helping with the revival project, he added.
Maeda and other capsule owners campaigned for the
survival of the building in central
Tokyo’s expensive Shimbashi district, which
for years has faced redevelopment threats.
Each of the capsules, built as micro-homes and
offices, has a floor space of just 10 square with 70s features such as a fold-out
desk and retro clocks.
However, most of the units have been left to rot,
and in recent years the building has faced problems with corroding pipes and
water damage, with some capsule owners keener to see the tower demolished than
pay for its upkeep.
The building’s fans reacted to the news on
social media with a mix of sadness and resignation.
“Capsule Tower will be demolished soon... It will be
very sad to see the building we admired go,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Finally it will be demolished. It’s valuable, but
it was the right decision to dismantle it, as it had become quite shabby,”
wrote another.
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