After years of back-and-forth over the fate of the Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo’s iconic structure and symbol of the Japanese Metabolism movement is being demolished. Designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and completed in 1972, the tower stood in Ginza for 50 years promoting the concept of metropolis as living organism. Much has been written about the landmark (this piece in the L.A. Times is a good place to start) but today we’re remembering the Nakagin Capsule Towers through a lovely rendered video by UK-based designer Sho Ito.
Rendered in Autodesk 3ds Max, the minute-long video shows the Nakagin Capsule Tower being assembled as a series of tiles and blocks as if itself were a living organism. By the end, the white tower stands tall and in stark contrast to a sea of dark, grey buildings at night. Gone but not forgotten.
Be sure to check out Sho Ito’s instagram account where you can watch the original video, as well as see more architectural renderings.
