In the near future, a large-scale dismantling of the world's most famous architectural monument of metabolism, the Nakagin capsule tower, will begin in Tokyo. The 13-story high-rise building, built in 1972, although it was considered all this time the building of the future, has outlived its usefulness and completely dilapidated. No matter how the world community protested, trying to preserve the symbol of the post-war cultural revival of Japan and its technological ambitions, demolition cannot be avoided.
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever in this world, and architectural structures that are only 50 years old can be in disrepair and become dangerous for the people around them. Such an unpleasant situation happened with the world-famous Nakagin Capsule Tower, built in 1972 in Tokyo. The futuristic structure is threatened with complete dismantling, since it is no longer serviceable, and the new owner does not want to engage in renovation.
At one time, its appearance became something new and unknown, equated to the building of the future, at least this is how architects positioned it, "infected" with the ideas of the metabolism movement that appeared in the post-war years. At the origins of the movement itself and the author of the idea of capsule design was the architect Kisho Kurokawa (Kisho Kurokawa), who saw perspective in this particular form of construction, intended for the permanent operation of buildings and even for living (albeit of people).
Recall: Nakagin Capsule Tower, a 13-story residential capsule tower, consists of 144 capsule residential blocks, fixed on two concrete bases and installed in the central core. This design of the building made it possible to assemble blocks directly at the factory and deliver them ready-made for installation on the foundation, without additional refinement, except for connection to the central engineering communications. These capsule-rooms could be installed at your discretion, as long as everything complied with safety standards, which in turn the queue made it possible to transfer one or part of the blocks to any other place or replace them in the event of an operational wear.
If we talk about the capsule itself, intended for one person, because its area did not exceed 10 square meters. m, then it was provided with a minimum of amenities. The compact housing was designed with the needs of one occupant in mind, who needed a roof over their head to there was a place to spend the night after a hard day, during a business trip or travel, to eat, wash and leave your things. Therefore, it was decided that the beds, built-in kitchenette with wardrobe, mini-fridge and stove, air conditioning, a multifunctional transforming table, a TV and a tiny bathroom should be enough for happiness. This minimalism was also accompanied by a window in the form of a porthole with a diameter of 1.3 m, since no one in any country of the world canceled the norms of natural lighting.
In fairness, I would like to note that the project developer provided for a complete reconstruction of the capsules every 25 years, but this never happened. Given the fact that the construction of an economy option was supposed, the materials used were not those that could stand for centuries. For this reason, a complete reconstruction was required after the end of the operational period, so that the building could function in a safe mode.
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By the beginning of the 21st century, the high-rise building was obsolete and began to actively deteriorate, which forced the once happy tenants / tenants, who were pretty fed up with cramped conditions, to leave their micro-apartments. Initially, the owner of the building changed, the development company began to develop a project for the dismantling and construction of a modern multi-storey building, but the crisis of 2008 brought the situation to a halt. thwarted those plans. Since then, there have been no residents left in the high-rise, capsules are rented out as micro-offices and as storage facilities. And this is in the center of Tokyo, where every piece of land is worth its weight in gold!
The threat of demolition has not been removed from the agenda, no matter how hard the activists trying to keep the futuristic the legacy of the founders of metabolism (up to applying to UNESCO for recognition as a protected object of the World heritage). “Japan does not have legislative regulations providing for the preservation of this kind of architectural culture, - said one of the activists Tsuyuki Maeda. — It is unfortunate that one of the most original examples of the country's modern architectural heritage will be lost forever."
As it became known to Novate.ru, the fate of "the precarious state of the structure and its incompatibility with current seismic standards". But they could not come up with anything intelligible, except for dismantling, since there are no funds for a grandiose reconstruction. Yes, and it makes no sense to restore the blocks, which were used in the creation of asbestos, a building material that has been banned in recent years.
According to some sources, those who are not afraid of the dilapidated state of the capsules and unsafe impurities in building materials will be allowed to redeem the capsules for their personal needs. At the same time, some museums in Japan and abroad, including the Pompidou Center in Paris, wished to replenish their stocks in such an eccentric exhibit in order to somehow preserve the extraordinary heritage of Kisho Kurokawa.
No matter how upset the Japanese are, capsule / modular construction is flourishing in many countries of the world, and Russia is no exception. In Moscow, for example, a plant was launched that produces... ready-made apartments, which in the same way remains only to be delivered to the construction site and installed in the right place.
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/070422/62638/