How old does a building have to be before we appreciate its value? And when does its cultural importance trump practical considerations? Those are the questions that instantly come to mind over the likely destruction of Kisho Kurokawa’s historic Nakagin Capsule Tower. 
How old does a building have to be before we appreciate its value? And when does its cultural importance trump practical considerations? Those are the questions that instantly come to mind over the likely destruction of Kisho Kurokawa’s historic Nakagin Capsule Tower. N. Ouroussoff of NYT
4 Comments
after getting beyond the "its an important piece of modern architecture" sentiments and being a member of the modern architecture protection agency, when i think about being a pod person. living in a capsule. existing in some kind of science fiction future i get really depressed. the old song in the year 2525 comes to mind and part of me says knock it down in an effort to preserve an sense of humanness that this building seems to undermine. no thank you mr. roboto.
don't knock it til you try it, vado. i thought mr. ourroussoff's closing thoughts on the role of the market in determining what goes and what stays within our cultural heritage is particularly insightly given the state of the global economy and how transitory wealth in fact is. shouldn't we as a culture be shooting for more in our built environment than merely a quick buck for the privileged few?
of course, but are pods the answer? i don't want a pod i don't want a shipping container. i am a human being not a dvd player being delivered to walmart from china.
This building was a result of its time and a society's problems and aspirations during that time. Metabolists were trying to develop an alternate way of living in a time of severe changes in society. Of course it is avant-garde and it hasn't made its way into "regular" architecture, but the theory is nervetheless brilliant and its a cultural document of the time. Nakagin Capsule Tower embodies the Metabolist theories in a pure way, and in this it is a monument worth saving.
If people don't want to live in such a box, how about converting the building into a hotel? Capsule hotels are still in use today in Japan.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.