Nakagin: 140 plug n play capsules float in metabolist tower

Resembling clusters of space pods stacked 13 stories tall, the Nakagin Capsule Tower is the worlds first example of capsule architecture. When erected in 1972, tiny prefab apartments were stacked like LEGOs (by crane) around a concrete core. Attached by only 4 hightension bolts, the capsules were designed to be plugged in and replaced when necessary. Each pod was a microapartment measuring 4 by 2. 5 meters, intended for Japanese businessmen who wanted to avoid a long commute home. Everything came builtin: a bed, a sink, a refrigerator, bathroom, folding desk and even a TV, radio, and alarm clock. Built in 1972 in Tokyos Ginza District, the building is one of the only remaining examples of Metabolist architecture: a movement begun in the 1960s that treated cities as dynamic, evolving organisms. Designed by Kisho Kurokawa for sustainability and recyclability, the Nakagin Tower has not been maintained and now nearly 50 years after its construction, many of the capsules are uninhabitable.