Tokyo's Futuristic And Memorable Nakagin Capsule Tower Will Be Destroyed

Nakagin Capsule Tower. (Wikimedia Commons/Dick Thomas Johnson)

JAKARTA - Tokyo's Nakagin Capsule Tower will be demolished next month, its owner said, after a long struggle to save the building.

Completed in 1972 and designed by renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa, the tower is a cornerstone of the Metabolism movement, which aims to create sustainable living spaces that people can take with them if they move.

Its dozens of capsules with large round windows are designed to be removed and replaced one by one, but remain there in progressively disrepair.

The owner plans to extract some of the white cube-shaped capsules before demolition begins on April 12, said Tatsuyuki Maeda, who bought the tower's first capsules in 2010.

"We don't know yet how many capsules we can salvage, but we plan to repair some of the damaged parts and renew them to send to museums, for example," said Maeda, who installed some of them himself.

"This is not a complete ending for the build, and I'm looking forward to seeing the capsule's new life."

Nakagin Capsule Tower. (Wikimedia Commons/Jordy Meow)

The company started by Kurokawa, who died in 2007, is helping with the revival project, he said.

Maeda and other capsule owners have campaigned against demolition of a building in Tokyo's central Shimbashi District, which for years has faced the threat of redevelopment.

Each capsule, built as a micro home and office, has a floor area of just 10 square meters and 1970s features such as a folding desk and retro clock.

However, most of the units have been left to rot, and in recent years the building has suffered from pipe corrosion and water damage.

Some, the capsule owners say they would rather see the tower demolished than pay for its maintenance.

But fans of the building reacted to the news on social media with a mixture of sadness and resignation.

"Capsule Tower is about to be demolished... It will be very sad to see the building we admire leave," wrote one Twitter user.

"Eventually it will be dismantled. It is valuable, but it was the right decision to dismantle it, because it is quite shabby," wrote another.