Kisho Kurokawa: Nakagin Capsule Tower

This latest volume in the MoMA One on One series focuses on Kisho Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo, completed between 1970–72.

One of the most iconic architectural marvels of the postwar period, the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo was designed by the office of Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa and completed between 1970–72. The project comprised of two steel and concrete towers outfitted with 140 prefabricated living capsules; each capsule was intended for single occupancy and came outfitted with its own ensuite bathroom, a fold-out desk, a telephone, a reel-to-reel tape player, a Sony colour television, and a "porthole" window overlooking the city. In this volume of the MoMA One on One series, curator Evangelos Kotsioris delves into the groundbreaking design, construction, evolution, and ultimate need for the demolition of this remarkable structure in 2022.