One of the lessons I took from this is that if you want to make a truly modular living space, you need to make the system truly modular. No adjustment or replacement of any module should affect any other module. Number two is that you need to be careful of the kinds of people that you're selling modular living to, some will be down for that lifestyle until they actually live it.

As someone who works in the building industry, I get EXTREMELY frustrated with architects who get so caught up with expressing their "vision" (with the clients' money of course) that they pay almost no attention to mundane practical matters like how the building will be repaired and maintained over it's lifespan. I've had to deal with pipes that can only be unblocked by ripping out structural concrete, roof leaks originating from completely inaccessible places, and wiring that is impossible to pull out and replace because of this shortsightedness. This particular architect should have foreseen the maintenance problems his design would cause. Making the capsules replaceable was a solid idea, but only being able to replace one capsule by taking out multiple others? When each capsule has a different owner? How on Earth did he think that was going to work? And leaving totally inaccessible gaps between the capsules that were open to the air? I know this building was considered iconic, but it was a really crappy design from the viewpoint of actual usability. The fact that it was demolished after only fifty years is testament to that. Far from being iconic, it should be used as a warning to architecture students. EDIT: Oh, and it was supposed to be economical to build as well. I read somewhere that it actually cost a lot more than a conventional concrete framed building.

I visited this building many years ago back in the 1980s. Even at that point the building was showing its age. There were some areas of the building that obviously had received more maintenance than others - some of the shared corridors between the units seemed to have received regular maintenance and then other floors not so much. Most of the units that were available to see though were well maintained. If you ever saw the movie 5th element - the inside of one capsule gave me a feeling like Corbin's apartment. :)

The ideas of the Metabolists and the Nakagin Capsule Tower may actually extend farther than we realize. In the "Dream Park" series of novels by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes, the main protagonist has his entire apartment picked up & moved to where he needs to work for any extended period of time -- it's a self-contained capsule, one of many in general use. Some modern cruise ships are built with cabins that literally slide into the framework of the ship's superstructure like drawers, and they can be slid back our & replaced with updated versions when the ship is periodically modernized. In Walt Disney World, the Contemporary Resort (the big A-shaped concrete building that has the monorails run through it) is basically a large framework that had "drawers" slid into place, each being a fully complete guest room (originally built by United States Steel) with the idea that the hotel could more easily be updated by sliding out rooms to replace them with newer versions... a method of construction that promotional films of the time said would likely expand to many other projects around the nation & the world.

I'm glad they saved a few of the capsules, if there was a way to remove just one capsule and people could actually get new ones commissioned and put up I wonder how long it could have lasted.

I remember seeing this building a decade ago while walking through Tokyo, I wasn't aware of what the building was. I had a Japanese person tell me it was designed by an eccentric architect, but they didn't explain why it was built the way it was. Turns out it was even more interesting than I realized; a shame I wasn't able to go inside and see how it was built... but it was peoples' homes afterall.

If it was 1972 and I were a young salaryman, I know for sure I'd have an application in at the Nakagin Tower. When I learned about this building and its impending demise it was literally my introduction to the metabolist school of architechture. I was at once astounded at its audacity and saddened by its planned demolition. It is reassuring to learn that the design and 3-D model are preserved for future study and some original capsules still exist. The problems that arose after its construction were not insurmountable even if the architects could not foresee them in the planning phase. Even scaled down so there were, for instance, less people or families affected by capsule replacement and, as others have suggested, making it so individual capsules could be removed without having to disrupt the ones around it would go a long way toward making a metabolist system like this succeed. Hats off to Kisho Kurokawa and his colleagues for pushing the envelope-- I can only hope a new generation of neo-metabolist architects will carry their vision forward.

The tower might have failed in it's original goal, but it did succeed in teaching people just a little more about what things work and what don't. The idea of replaceable pods could still work, if the replacement of a pod was minimally disruptive to surrounding residents. We also learned that even with the best of intentions, maintenance is something humans inevitably fall behind on.

It sounds like some of it's issues, once they were diagnosed, could have been addressed. If you were redesigning, pretty clearly you'd want to make it so each capsule could be replaced individually. You'd want some sort of condo fee to maintain the utilities and core structure. I think you'd want some sort of gasket between the modules so that they weren't exposed to the elements on all sides. A gasket could have created some insulation value. Maybe tighter tolerances? Have tracks to slide them in on or something- when it's time to replace a unit you slide it out. To line up the new unit you put little extenders on the track to line it up, and slide it in?

Good video! This concept is being used for pre-fab bathroom modules for hospitals and hotels. Recently toured a local hospital under construction and the contractor said he was surprised at how well it worked and it saved lots of time and money.

So, unmapped legal (ownership) and logistical (repairs) needs are what did it in. Fascinating chapter to the growing tiny-living movement. Thank you.

These standard pre-constructed units are now the way almost all cruise-ship staterooms and crew cabins are built. Having both traveled and worked on these ships, I can vouch to finding them quite comfortable accommodation. The key in my view is to make them very comfortable so that the limited space is less oppressive.

This building is by all definitions an experiment. It's important to keep the conversation going now that we understand where the experiment failed

Two things that came to me. 1) The idea of temporary and changeable structures is very Japanese, especially since the Japanese often build homes to only last 30 years or so. 2) The top down view of a capsule reminded me of Corbin Dallas' apartment in Fifth Element, with certain elements that could be hidden.

This was a beautiful and unique structure that really showed a very Japanese sensability. I've see it so many times in movies, video games and it really was striking. Glad some was saved and the AR scans were done, its such a cool building.

Failed? No. It was loved. It was well visited. We’re talking about it now. Buildings learn about us and we learn about them. If anything, it showed that the capsules needed to be individually removed, rather than unstacked. If not for rising land values and a lack of a shared vision for things such as repair, it would still be around. It was amazing. Metabolism is about living and changed. Nakagin lived, changed and died. I’d say it was a success.

Great video on a really interesting building. Seems like distributed ownership was a huge factor in the decline of the building. A more centralized body would have easily been able to ensure the necessary repairs, but this would create all the usually problems of rent-hikes and forced evictions that happens from that sort of body.

I wish I could've visited it before it got demolished... Seeing videos or a single capsule in a museum just isn't the same. It's a real shame to lose such an interesting part of architectural history 😔

This building fascinates me. I love Brutalist architecture in general - yes, I know I’m weird - so the ultra-modern concrete look of this building has always appealed to me. I’d love to live in something like this - but only in something that had more space in individual units. I’m not a tiny-house kind of guy. Back in the ‘70s when I was in elementary school, I became obsessed with Disney’s Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World. Each of the rooms in the "tower" building was a pre-fabricated pod that was fitted out before being lifted by a crane and slid into place. The idea was that the rooms could be removed and replaced when renovations or upgrades were needed. Unfortunately, they discovered almost immediately that the units settled into place and would not be easy to remove in the future. Thus, they’ve never been replaced. Still, I loved the over-scaled, concrete look of the structure. I loved the monorail that runs through the building, providing a transportation hub inside the hotel. I loved the gigantic public gathering spaces. I loved the corridors that were open to the gigantic public spaces. I still love it and have stayed there many times. I’ve even bought Disney’s version of a timeshare at the Contemporary Resort, so I get to stay there several weeks each year if I choose to. I love just hanging out on the Grand Canyon Concourse, looking up at the vastness of the space and admiring that 1970s modernist/brutalist vibe.

It's a huge relief to know that the building has in some senses been saved, having capsules preserved is so important, particularly given the original electronic features that some of the capsules retained.

Sad to see it go, but it was really in terrible shape. I used to live next to another of the metabolism buildings, known as Gunkan (or battleship) Building, it was abandoned for many years, but it actually got restored instead and used as shared accomodation, the "capsules" for that building are much larger similar to a shipping container. The building itself is not as massive, maybe 12 stories tall and with 4 capsules per level or somethign. Check it out! =)

They were ahead of their time. Some modern buildings don't last 10 years, so 50 years is pretty good. I've seen a TED talk by Moshe Safdie using similar principles, except his units were stacked higgledy-piggledy so that air can flow between the units. His building still stands today and has been granted heritage status. I'm a little suspicious of the "tiny house" movement - I think humans need enough space to "breathe" and some tiny houses I think are too small (I am slightly claustrophobic)... I think I prefer the concept of a compact rather than a tiny house. I do appreciate the space saving & multi-purpose aspect of their design. I also like the idea of public, communal & private space. As our population has reached the 8 billion mark I think it's important that residents have access to communal space (and private space) away from the "hordes" but being able to share amenities that are quite costly for private ownership & maintenance etc. For this reason I quite like the courtyard apartment concept based on the Moroccan riaad-style houses. With some tweaking, the addition of greenary & garden space (rooftop gardens?) as communal space - for water collection & management, renewable energy tech, food garden allotments & space for kids to play safely - I think the concept is still valid. I saw another TED talk by Kent Larsen on apartments with movable walls so living space can be adjusted as needed. Thanks for this interesting video.

Wow, I'm looking at these capsules and thought, "I've lived in Army Barracks that were bigger than these things." Of course, in Army barracks, we were bunked two to a room, but I still feel like I had more floor area than what's in these capsules. And having lived in Army barracks, I feel like you need three things for a minimal, single occupancy capsule: a sleeping area, a bath area, and a kitchen/eating area (a work area can be worked in as part of one of those three). These capsules only had two of them, lacking only the kitchen/eating area. Given that these are civilian quarters, I feel like the lack of kitchen makes for a captive customer base for whatever restaurant or food court is at the base of the core building.

I'm glad i was able to see this building in person years back. It was ahead of it's time and definitely made leaps for future sustainability and modular design.

I was 'lucky' enough to make a point of seeing the Nakagin back in 2017. Seeing this in various architectural books I had to make the 'pilgrimage' and photographed it (both at day and night). I was already aware that the building's days were numbered and even as far back as the late 2000's there was already discussion about the building's future. Whether it was feasible to preserve it as it was a historic example of a bold experimental piece of architecture or demolish it due to its increasing maintenance costs and deteriorating state. Also it stands on valuable real estate. (land values in Tokyo being very high & it is in a central location) I did enter the reception of the building but the staff there did remind me (with some communication barriers) it was a private building and I wasn't allowed in. I did joke with them that they should charge admission for the curious then they could raise money for its upkeep or restoration. It would be ideal student accommodation or a place to stay in Tokyo for budget conscious self catering holiday makers/vacationers but maybe not as practical as permanent long term homes as it had seemed to have ended up. As explained here: in contrary to the architect's original vision of servicing or replacing individual pods over time when they required it thus ensuring the tower's long term survival, this was to prove rather impractical for the fact that surrounding pods would need to be removed first to get to the ones due for replacement. However. the concept of modular housing has/is actually been used today to create housing at speed or alleviate housing shortage by using similar methods (but not necessarily replacing individual home units in a given building) to construct homes quickly (and thus cutting costs) with similar pre built units off site and transportable to the location where they are quickly assembled and faced in a more amiable brick façade or some other form of cladding or curtain walling to provide practical homes at more affordable rates but meet housing need where house prices are particularly high (like London!) The legacy of Nakagin will live on!

This came around just in time! Im basing my master thesis (MBarch Barcelona) around the Metabolist movement and Nakagin being the prime example of it. I had no idea there was a virtual recreation and that there's plans and details about it. Really useful video!

One day I'd like one of those architects actually living in such a building.....strangely they usually live in large house, villa's or mansions with ample outside space or gardens....remarkable!

This was NOT the first large building built using modules. The Palacio del Rio in San Antonio, TX, was built in 1968. It is a Hilton hotel and you can stay there. It’s very nice and convenient to the Riverwalk and downtown attractions.

Sounds like the only issue was that it wasn't designed so that individual units could be serviced by themselves. Or that it was a condo building and not an apartment building

As someone who is immensely interested in Japanese architecture and has read and watched a lot of analyses about the capsule tower and the Metabolists, this is easily one of the best overviews I have seen. The basic idea of the city as constantly fluid and organic has proved influential, and it is much more applicable for our eco-conscious age than the old Corbusier idea of the city as a sort of machine, but the capsule tower itself was an imperfect, if ambitious, manifestation of that idea.

Thank you for this information, I was not aware of this buildings existence. I was in high school in the seventies, one of our assignments was to design things we thought would exist in the 2000's. A highrise building with removable pods was one of the things I thought might happen. I'm glad it was tried, but not surprised it failed.

I bet the sound insulation between units must be incredible.

That building like many of these 5 over 1 buildings you see in America are terrible for dealing with Rainwater, it easily gets trapped in all the nooks and crannies, there is a reason why most buildings have continuous walls on the outside with openings only for windows. Also each capsule had so many exposed sides, bad for heating and ac,

The architect got carried away by the concept and its visual appeal but forgot about the mundane plumbing and maintenance. I loved the Idea and think that it could be made to work especially today.Thank you Profesor.

Wow! I think that if they had made the capsules in a way that you could individually replace them, without having to disturb other capsules around it, it would have allowed people to upgrade to new capsules more easily. That could have helped avoid the state of disrepair of the capsules that eventually led to the failure of the project. It would be fascinating to see a building with all kinds of different pods attached to it, each suited to the needs of its inhabitants. Maybe you could allow the pods to be connected to each-other directly as well, allowing for apartments with a living room a kitchen and a bedroom for example (3 pods connected together, horizontally, vertically or a mix of the two). If you did that even families could live in the building if they rented adjacent pods and connected them. Really inspiring stuff I hope this idea gets picked up again as I would love to live in such a place!

I visited the tower in 2016. It was covered with angry paper signs warning to stay away, so I did of course... but I so wish I could have gone inside. The core design is so fascinating the way the stairs spiral around, and how the elevators don't stop on every "floor". It is a shame it's gone, it would be neat to see someone try and do this again someday.

Excellent video Stewart I’ve long been fascinated by the Nakagin towers. I thought it was such an audacious experiment. I was saddened when they decided to take it down but I guess it boiled down largely to economics;the cost of restoration balanced with the value of Tokyo real estate. Can’t wait to see the virtual walk through.

As a student, i lived in a huge complex, that was most likely inspired by this philosophy. It was not assembled from single capsules, but the living units were capsules in themselves. Built in the 70s. So i can imagine, how it must have been, living in that building. 😄

Thanks for posting the info on the photography collection!! I live in Old Town (by the Newberry Library) so the exhibition won't be too far! The Nakagin tower was always such a great/ interesting concept for architecture, I'd love to see the photos! 😄 I hope the Museum of Science and Industry will acquire a capsule for exhibition too! Just came across the channel, and I like your way of presenting the topics! Definitely will subscribe! 💜☺️

It would be nice to have more buildings used green spaces like native plants or trees to help cool the area and clean the air.

3:00 * get out of my head, get out of my head *

I have such a hard time understanding how this oversight happened now that I know the principles behind the design. They had to have known that an inability to replace individual cells was a fatal flaw. That's kind of the entire secret to biological life is the ability to replace a single cell without interrupting an entire system. This is kind of akin to the entire heart having to stop every time one cell needs to be replaced. And cells don't just get taken out whole. They are dismantled onsite and removed piece by piece. I think the flaw in their thinking was they were looking from the outside in, when systems are built from the inside out. Like instead of starting at the cellular level like nature does, they started at the macro level and built downwards. To start at the cellular level they should have first designed the most basic building block. Some kind of strut that could be the universal building block, for example. Had they done that, individual capsules could have been dismantled piece by piece without compromising the ones around them. The other secret to biological design is that there are no support structures and therefore no single point of failure. That's ultimately what doomed the building was the central column failed. In the body, the cells are their own support structure. Again, going back to the universal strut that would have the pods interconnected with each other, forming their own support column, the support column itself would be continually renewed as each individual pod was replaced, ensuring that there was no single point of failure.

Very inspiring. At 75 years old with decreasing needs of space, it has made me think about it.

Impressive. It's a shame it could not be kept in good shape. Thank you for sharing.

Maybe the analogy of "living" architecture was taken too literally by their creators originally. But it's undeniable that they were pioneers and left a legacy that resounds today with more practical, real-life technologies in architecture. So glad to know that the authorities took the effort to preserve this tower! Thanks for the video

Having watched Nami live in her tiny apartment, I can see how these capsules fit into Japanese housing history. I hope this experiment can be repeated, it did work despite not having the expected upkeep!

They look like giant dryers from far away! But I think these are absolutely awesome and want to see one!

Oh, this explained a lot. I had to do maintenance inspections on a concrete modular building built in the 1970s in Cincinnati. The one in Cincinnati looked like any other building. The older inspectors told me about how the units were lifted into place. The ceiling heights probably just met the code and were claustrophobic even though they were significantly larger than the ones in Tokyo. They felt undersized because they were to fit on flatbed trucks. There was probably a weight issue for the cranes then, too, that limited size. Because they used concrete, pipes were exposed and low. It was warehousing for poor people.

In reality did the cells actually enforce rigidity. A design where you could merge and split apartments or rearrange interior walls would have been much more organic.

History is riddled with interesting concepts that seemed to work very well on the drawing board...but not so well in real life.

Always, always, always learn something from your episodes. Thanks!!! (The use of prefabrication either of entire dwelling units or major components like exterior walls consumes much of the architectural conversation bandwidth, seeing the real world results--at fifty years, of just such an experiment was wonderful to watch and ponder.)

Can you imagine the cooling and heating costs of a building with this surface area!!!

This made me think of Habitat 67 in Montreal, QC, Canada. Such an iconic building in Canada, and still actively lived in. It's got some controversy and is getting expensive now that it's 50+ years old, but it's a tourist attraction and those living there long term adore it. I saw it back in 2013 while driving past and haven't forgotten it. It also makes me think of Alt hotels, where the rooms are all pre-made modules.

The problem is that the maintenance intervals for that place were WAY too far apart. If it needed to be replaced or maintained every 5-10 years, people are going to do it to avoid having their home fall off the building, but when it's 20-30 years, the mentality is: "It's fine--let the next guy deal with it!"

The building I live in today is new, and the company that built it, Mirvac (in Australia), uses modular bathrooms. They're built off site and everything is installed in it. The modules are craned in and power, plumbing, and ducting is connected up.

3:00 among us

I love the multiple modes of preservation & memorializing that were used even tho total physical preservation wasn’t an option-digital scanning/re-creation, artistic interpretation, material examples...what a fascinating conception-to-afterlife story. This all feels like it should be the loving subject of a Tashen tome someday.

When I first started my architectural studies I fell in love with metabolist design trends, it's sad to see the one remaining bastion of the architecture style finally falling, but maybe i'll get the chance to visit one of the capsules if it visits a local museum, or I might just build a replica in revit, and turn it into my VR house, with the 3d scans being available that'll be fun, and somewhat easy.

A lot to learn from this experiment for sure. Capsule Hotels although not quite the same, I see some potential in all the lessons learned.

Prof. Hicks -- you are SO GOOD at presenting these topics! I remember seeing footage of this revolutionary construction style, maybe 35 years ago. It seems that the intellectual architect forgot to talk to plumbers and electricians to check maintenance practicality. This reminds me of the idealistic high rise and city plans in post-war Europe which resulted in huge slums. Perhaps a more linear assembly would have endured more successfully. Thanks for showing the interiors and design flaws of such a forward-thinking building. I appreciate your educational content!

This reminds me very much to habitat 67 in Montreal. Another modular building designed by renowned Moshe Safdie. Although Habitat has survived, it failed to accomplish its goal which was to supply the world with inexpensive housing with private outdoor access. Albeit I love Habitat 67 and is still my favourite building in Montreal.

They look, inside, like single dorm room back in the 70’s. The concept is similar to capsule hotels. Their lack of forethought of routine maintenance and replacement of a single unit without disturbing any others demonstrates what often happens. The designer doesn’t consult the engineer or the builder or the maintenance guy.

I once saw a dream about my parents building where they live in and apartment being almost like that suddenly. A cube. It also started to wobble. I didn't know my dream was 'realistic' in a way...

oh man it's gone? that building was really cool, and really had it's own "accent" so to speak. damn. edit: kept watching and now it really makes sense. what a shame that the design wasn't as practical as it was forward thinking.

It is the embodiment of an idea, like a concept car. It was never likely to be a pattern for future projects. To foreigners, it is one of the most iconic buildings in Japan and should have been preserved as a heritage site.

This is so incredibly ahead of it’s time it’s crazy that we still aren’t quite there yet

As an experiment, I don't think it failed at all. It looks like it provided some great lessons on what worked, what needed improvement, and how people actually used the capsules. I hope that it's inspired similar projects and given more insight into how to design modular buildings.

Hey Stewart, perfectly timed video for me , just starting my masters thesis project at KSA. It's about a very similar building in every respect. Cedric Prices Inter-action. Its similar to the FUN PALACE but this was one of only two of his built structures. It was demolished in 2002 and I'll be trying to archive the building similarly to how Kisho Kurokawa's scheme had been archived, albeit posthumously. I hope to be able to share this and build awareness of this project. Send me a message if you'd be interested in seeing it!

Never had I watched a video this early :D

The fact that is lasted for 50 years made it worth the effort.

I’ve seen several videos on this building including _Abroad in Japan_ and _Kirtsten Dirksen_ but your piece has covered new dimensions.

Thank you Stewart for this amazing video. I really do think capsule dwelling isn't a bad idea and it can do wonders in disaster hit areas. Guess there's more research and experimentation that needs to be done. Thank you again!

I wish the concept for this building and lifestyle had been more successful. I always think of it along side Habitat 67 which proved more successful. Both are based on unitized construction methods; however, Habitat 67 provided more flexibility in how individual units could be configured and lived in.

This is a good summary of the building's purpose, design, and history. I learned about the tower's existence about six months ago, and I absolutely love the concept. One of those units would be perfect for me if I downsized my stuff, and funnily enough, two units would be perfect (the second would mostly be storage and more of an artistic creation space than a living space). I liked the tower concept and design so much I attempted to make something similar in Sims 4, and it's on the gallery under the title of Nakasim Capsule Tower. Sadly, Sims 4 only lets you create four stories worth of floors, but I did what I could within the limits of the lot size and the size I chose for the core area with the stairs. The capsules are empty for maximum customization, and I keep meaning to try furnishing the building to put into play myself, but other distractions have been more distracting. XD

The 1970's, blurring the lines between catastrophic failure and a work of art. Would we do it all over again? Hell ya!

Ths Nakagin capsule tower is perhaps one of the most fascinating designs of living spaces to me. I remember first learning of it in an architecture class I think two years ago (?) and it's just so cool looking. I always wanted to go there one day but then I learned that it was being disassembled, which is definitely quite sad. Although I'm not sure how viable a building like this is for living designs looking at how capsule hotels seem to be getting more popular outside of Asia it seems Kurokawa's concept might work.

Excellent video Stewart! There's much about the basic idea that I appreciate. I prefer a "less in more" lifestyle for myself, with minimal "stuff" cluttering up my life. (Computers and the internet make this much easier.) I think the Capsule Tower could have worked well if the administrative and logistical problems were handled better, as well as basic things like a design that promoted ease of maintenance. The tight spaces between the pods are a real problem! When I was growing up, the National Maritime Building was constructed in NYC a few blocks from my home. It was designed by Albert C. Ledner mainly to serve as housing for retired merchant marines, and it used a lot of these same ideas, including the porthole windows (for obvious reasons). It has since been used as temporary housing for teenage runaways and is now a boutique hotel. Nakagin Capsule Tower concept reminds me of a book I've had since 1970: "Equipotential Space: Freedom in Architecture", by Renato Severino. I still have the book, although it's in storage right now so I don't have it handy to look at. In it, Severino puts forward several ideas for living spaces. The overall space is identical for each unit, with electrical and plumbing connections built in. Then he designed a variety of plug-in pods for different functions, such as kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. arranged as the tenant saw fit. A couple of full-scale roughed-in prototypes were constructed on the Columbia campus, where Severino taught. So far as I know, the idea never took off, but it seems to have a lot in common with the Nakagin Capsule Tower concept.

I really believe that a configuration like this could be a great option for temporary low income housing. There are so many people waiting to have a roof over their head. If a solution like this were to be modernised and the capsules increased a little in size, it could provide fantastic temporary or long term temporary accomodation. The concept of maintaining the permanent lower levels and tower while replacing living units could potentially save a lot of money. Yes, there were major issues with the initial execution, but I can imagine this has provided 50 years of trial and error. Taking the concept further, if modular capsules were created, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to plan capsule attachments to create a child’s bedroom for instance. In this way, there would be various configurations available based on the occupants needs. I truly think an option should exist between a homeless shelter and having a roof over your head. If someone is on a waiting list for a ‘home’, there is no reason they couldn’t make use of this as a ‘house’ in the interim. Security, privacy, dignity and stability. Wouldn’t this allow the occupants to do things such as find work for instance? Instead of struggling to arrange shelter, meals, hygiene etc. etc. people in this position can focus on getting back on their feet instead.

I am astounded at the level of quality and information in this video of my favourite topic in the whole world. Thank you!

The idea of being able to adapt the building to its time is actually really good, but of course ideas usually work better inside of ones head

Interesting video as always! I always find new experimental ideas in architecture just so cool. But watching this, it made me wonder if new highly experimental types of buildings are better tried in buildings not meant as dwellings. So many large public housing projects, especially in the 60's and 70's were won by futuristic often brutalist architecture bids with no input from the future residents as to what they actually wanted to live in. When asked later what they would like rather than experimental "streets in the sky", hard concrete, or futuristic styles, the majority say they prefer a front porch, a bit of yard, some tees, cozy styles, etc. It would be interesting maybe to have a video on this topic. Were we using the least fortunate people to experiment on with our grand visions? With that argument I don't know of any architects who actually lived in their great futuristic designed mega buildings. If as seems pretty clear, the mass of the public prefers the comfort of the familiar and more traditional styles/layouts, has that contributed to fact that so many of these cool structures have been later torn down (some notable exception I can think of in London and Toronto later became appreciated... but by more upscale professionals). It's an interesting thought to me as I love experimentation and the new, but I too don't choose to live in one of those structures which makes me wonder if I am a hypocrite? Is experimental and visionary architecture thus better tested on a small scale with dwellings and/or with non-dwelling functions first where they might be better appreciated and thus maybe we are less likely to lose them?

One the errors was the "all side exposed to the elements" part in a temperate climate. the capsules should have been encased in some kind of slot, with the fixing bolts accessible through panels inside the tower. Maybe a some kind of hook ring on the roof of the capsule to ease the positioning. Panels inside the tower to ease the renovation of electrics and plumbings.

its simply a good lesson learned. The idea of replaceable capsules was great but the structure needed improvement to be able to move one capsule at a time with in-between space enough to do maintenance

I remember seeing pictures of the tower, but I never knew the story around it. Thank you for the video! However, when you said FOUR BOLTS, my jaw literally dropped open. I said it several times. "FOUR BOLTS?! JUST FOUR BOLTS?!" and then you said none had ever failed in 50 years and I can honestly say I'm amazed lol. That really surprised me!

I would love to see something like this attempted again but with easy removal of each capsule, and a connected railroad connecting multiple towers with the purpose of allowing you to move your entire apartment across the country if need be.

I think this is a very good idea. It needs some practical experimentation but the core idea has merit in my opinion. If you could make a stem that performs to specifications, you could hypothetically move units around with complete abandon. This means you could relocate everyone from one building to another, demolish the stem and replace it with a more appropreate one for local needs and then pile new or returning units. Oh my god, I love it.

People don't want to live in capsules. We're not sardines.

Ok, so what actually made this a failure. It looks to me it only failed because 140 people had to consent every time to maintenance.

I just had to pause this at 5:18, to comment that this is amazing! Going back to finish up.

Stewart, you have created a KZfaq channel that is impressive and most excellent.

Biggest flaw was not being able to remove a single capsule without having to remove several others.

I'm sitting here in my home on 20 acres in rural Wyoming, and this looks like a nightmare to me. These cubes would make great prison cells. Yeah, I know, it's not suppose to be for everybody. But we're all being pushed in this direction.

I was born the year the tower was built. In a trip to Tokyo I visited one capsule of the tower thanks to an Airbnb architecture experience in 2010. I just found out here the sad news about the tower ending. Not enough words to say.

Very interesting. I enjoyed your commentary. Thank you. Subscribed. 😊

I like the fact that you speak about how in theory the Nakagin capsule tower should be able to last forever as part of Kurokawa's Metabolist idea. Coincidentally, I have been reading up a bit on Japanese aesthetics and this Metabolist idea of replaceable pods to allow for a living and "eternal" building has its idea rooted in traditional Japanese philosophy of aesthetics. I don't remember what is the correct Japanese term which is to describe this but one example provided by in the book is of the Ise Shrine, which is reconstructed every 20 years. While the materials maybe replaced, the looks and construction of the building still remains, and as long as the tradition continues, the building will remain "immortal", which in regards to the Nakagin capsule tower, should have been the way it was treated. Perhaps, architecture did not fail the building but rather the property laws and contracts that governs the architecture. It is a huge loss in the world of 20th century post-war architecture, but it should also be a lesson that in order to make unique architecture work, architects must have more ownership of their creations even after their completion.

Its an interesting concept, and while it missed some of its design goals, it knocked others out of the park. the residents that called the tower home and those who didnt want the tower demolished are a testament to this. The tower was livable and many people called it home. There is a room in cities for tiny houses and capsules, but sadly there is so much power in real estate speculation that low cost or high density urban housing is frequently suppressed because of suspected impact to real estate values. Which is very short sighted thinking..

I actually submitted this building as part of my portfolio when applying for Architecture at uni :) it was great research and drawing too

You know this proved that this idea can actually work. It's just that instead of selling units individually they should have either be owned by the government or a corporation. Because these units were not designed to be permanent living spaces but people obviously ignored that and hence why it failed.

03:03 looks pretty sus if you ask me.

Great video Stewart. I am deeply sad that small/tiny dwellings are illegal in my city, it forces me to pay a large rent for a space I really don't use. I really wish Pod lifestyle were legal here in Melbourne, but I might just move somewhere else.