Adult Topic Blogs

Recovered MOMA’s capsules from Nakagin Tower in Tokyo

MOMA Capture Exhibition

Last month, New York exhibited a rare part of the most radical architectural experiments of the 20th century. Since July 10, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) has been displaying the fully restored capsules of the now-explosive Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo, part of the exhibition “Many Life of Nakagin Capsule Tower”.

The exhibition lasts until July 12, 2026 and takes up a place in Moma’s ground gallery, where visitors can join the rare survivors of the Tower demolition near the tower a1305 and learn about one of the compact Prefab Pods.

MOMA Capture Exhibition

Enjoy the installation landscape of many lifespans at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from July 10, 2025 to July 12, 2026. Photo: Jonathan Dorado. Provided by moma.org

From concept to reality

Designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, the Nakagin Capsule Tower is a prototype of the future: tiny living spaces that can be inserted and inserted into the core of the center, such as a memory card. The building has a total of 140 capsules, each accounting for 100 square feet.

It is sold to commuter merchants who need to sleep in the city. The capsules were never replaced as planned, and over time, residents personalized them in various ways – breaking down some humans into a very sterile vision that was initially a very sterile one.

Tensions between concept and reality are at the heart of the MOMA show. It is divided into two colorful parts (for the tower’s early idealism, the orange pink, for everything afterwards), and is not just a nostalgic exhibition.

In addition to the marketing manual, Kurokawa’s original sketches and promotional videos, it also includes photos of the capsule, video interviews with former residents, and interactive virtual tours throughout the building.

The highlight, however, is the only surviving architectural model in the original project. Capsule A1305 is one of only 14 units preserved after the building was demolished in 2022. The rest are either abandoned or scattered to museums around the world.

After a six-month recovery by Kisho Kurokawa’s office, the capsule was acquired by MoMA in 2023 and shipped to New York by boat.

“It’s a very rare opportunity to show visitors a one-to-one architecture, not just a painting, a photo or a video,” he said. explain Evangelos Kotsioris, assistant curator at MOMA, was interviewed by Dezeen.

MOMA Capture ExhibitionMOMA Capture Exhibition

Enjoy the installation landscape of many lifespans at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from July 10, 2025 to July 12, 2026. Photo: Jonathan Dorado. Provided by moma.org

Legacy Reimagining

The Nakagin capsule tower was eventually demolished due to deterioration in infrastructure and lack of preservation funds. Tenants voted to sell their units separately, and by the end of 2024, announcing plans for a luxury hotel in Ginza’s original location.

MOMA members will have special access to the repaired capsules during the year-round activation event. For everyone else, Many life in Nakajin Capsule Tower Provides a rare, close-up view to imagine a completely different way of life.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply