the Nagakin Tower, a futuristic icon of Japanese architectural heritage, will soon be dismantled

It is an iconic building located in the heart of Tokyo (Japan). This is the Nakagin tower, a strange stack of 140 weather-rusted boxes, which is still inhabited. Koé, a Japanese woman who is a DJ, lives in one of these capsules. Tatsuyuki Maeda, his neighbor, has lived here for 13 years. He owns these ten square meters, bought for 200,000 euros at the time. Passionate about architecture and this building, the former advertiser even bought 14 other capsules.

This very first capsule building came out of the ground in 1972. The concept was imagined by the architect Kisho Kurokawa. In an overcrowded megalopolis where space is lacking, the concept has turned into capsule hotels. Thus, in a hotel, narrow bubbles, where there is only one bed, are rented at 17 euros per night. On the occasion of a weekend, a Japanese tries the experience for the first time. He is delighted by the lower cost of these hotels. While capsule hotels still have a bright future ahead of them, the Nakagin tower will be dismantled this summer, because it is too old.