The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has acquired a rare and iconic preserved vestige of Japanese Metabolism, a mid-20th century architectural movement inspired by nature. “Capsule A1302” (1972) is one of 23 preserved “Business Capsules” – prefabricated concrete micro-dwelling units – still extant from the famous Nakagin capsule tower building which was formerly held in Tokyo, Japan. Located in Tokyo’s Ginza district for 50 years, the structure was recently demolished from April 2022 due to its neglect and state of disrepair.
The Nakagin Capsule Tower Building was considered the finest architectural example of the metabolism movement, which was strongly rooted in biomimetics – a multidisciplinary field that aims to solve complex human problems through solutions that mimic natural biological processes. Designed and built by Japanese metabolist architect Kisho Kurokawa, the Nakagin Building’s 13-story twin-tower structure consisted of 140 self-contained concrete living capsules that were marketed to Japanese employees (dedicated white-collar workers with notoriously long working hours) like a home away from home. Each unit was equipped with a kitchenette, a dormitory, a small office and a bathroom the size of an airplane toilet.
Kurokawa designed the pre-made capsules with mass production in mind and planned for them to be replaced every 25 years, mimicking the cell life cycle in an organism. This modular theory embraced architectural impermanence and regeneration after the destruction of World War II and natural disasters like earthquakes.
This concept unfortunately never came to fruition, as the original capsules that were built and installed between 1970 and 1972 were never replaced. Over the decades, Nakagin fell into disarray as the concrete began to crumble, equipment became stale or obsolete, and there was no temperature control. Nakagin’s disappearance revealed many similarities to that of her English counterpart, the concrete of Alison and Peter Smithson. Robin Hood Gardens which were also completed in 1972 and eventually demolished.
Despite the capsule tower’s creeping demise, Nakagin tenant Tatsuyuki Maeda has begun efforts to preserve the iconic development across the Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project in 2014 hoping to replace some of the pods. Unfortunately, Maeda’s efforts only prolonged the inevitable until mid-2022, when the remaining tenants voted to demolish the building as a full restoration was prohibitively expensive and the majority of units had been completely abandoned. Nevertheless, with the help of Kisho Kurokawa Architect and Associates, Maeda was able to preserve 23 capsules for historic preservation with the intention of exhibiting them internationally.
In mid-May, SFMOMA was the first institution to acquire one of the restored capsules alongside nine archival photographs by Noritaka Minami. 1972 (2010-2022) series which documented Nakagin’s interiors during its last years of existence.
According to the museum, “Capsule A1302” belonged to Kurokawa himself and was in a prime location on the 13th floor. SFMOMA has not yet indicated what is in store for “Capsule A1302”, but noted that this acquisition fulfilled “the architect’s wish that the Capsules would not remain fixed, but rather move to other locations. “.
