GORK JOURNAL

Capsule Architecture

Architecture: Kisho Kurokawa
Project: Nakagin Capsule
Location: Tokyo, JP


"Nakagin" tops my associative list of Japanese architecture. Honestly, I never thought about what’s inside the capsules. But, stumbling upon photos of the interiors, I was intrigued by the variability of fitting a full apartment into 10 square meters. It’s a great guide to compact and functional space organization. The porthole windows deserve a special mention; regardless of the decor style, they create the feeling of being on a spaceship.

Despite its unique construction, the tower will be demolished in 2022. The reason isn’t the size, but rather the complexity of operation and wear and tear. The tower’s capsules are not the smallest apartments. In Hong Kong, for instance, 'communal compartments' of 2−3 square meters are widespread.

PS: I recalled Alexandra Kuzmina’s summer report on construction norms in the Moscow region, where projects with one-room apartments less than 28 square meters were under revision. For now, the defense holds strong.
Architecture