Japan is full of impressive structures in its many huge cities that leave visitors aghast. But one of them fell into disrepair after 55 years and was demolished. The Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo was built in 1970 and is now no more after being felled in 2022 because of overall decay and concerns regarding asbestos. Designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the structure was thought of as a prime example of Metabolist architecture – a post-war movement that combined ideas about large scale buildig prohect with those of organic biological growth.
The tower was comprised of residential and office capsules, 23 of which were salvaged during the operation to dismantle the building led by Tatsuyuki Maeda. A piece in Inflection, the journal of the Melbourne School of Design, stated in 2017 that the original construction cost of each of its 140 capsules was $4,500. This would amount to $630,000. Considering inflation, in 2025, this is worth $5,192,612.
The build cost for the tower’s capsules, therefore, was the equivalent of just over £3.9million.
Inflection delved into the philosophy behind the orginal project. It read: “Kurokawa’s Metabolist philosophy was motivated by his criticism of Japan’s pre-war modernisation: westernisation based on industrialisation.
“The two pillars of the Metabolist movement were to resist the course of cultural evolution based on Western values and to seek out a contemporary language for architecture specific to Japanese culture.
“Kurokawa criticised those who tried to resuscitate and imitate ancient Japanese structures during World War I colonisation and the period following World War II. He argued for defining the present, not the past, as the backbone of Japanese culture.”
Academics added that each capsule was attached with high-tensile steel bolts, were prefabricated by a railroad car manufacturer, and consisted of a bathroom unit, circular window and built-in furniture and appliances.
The design meant that each one was individually anchored to the concrete shaft in such as way that it could be replaced without affecting the others.
The journal went into further detail, stating that the small living spaces wasdesigned primarily for lounging and sleeping, and “minimally equipped” with a bed, bathroom, fridge and sink.
The construction of the tower impressively only took one year, and all capsules were sold by the time it was finished.
They were originally owned by firms who utilised them as temporary housing for travelling employees, offices or investments.