Iconic tiny Tokyo capsule home goes on display in New York

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. pod / pɒd / (n.) – a small, simple building or space, often round in shape
    Example:

    Tourists can sleep in a comfortable camping pod made of wood with a small stove inside.


  2. stack / stæk / (n.) – a neat pile of things placed on top of each other
    Example:

    There was a stack of dirty dishes in the kitchen after the party.


  3. dwelling / ˈdwɛl ɪŋ / (n.) – a place where a person lives, like a house or an apartment
    Example:

    The family moved into a small dwelling near the mountains where they could enjoy nature.


  4. demolish / dɪˈmɒl ɪʃ / (v.) – to completely destroy a building or structure
    Example:

    The old train station was demolished last year to make space for a new shopping mall.


  5. miniaturized / ˈmɪn i ə tʃəˌraɪzd / (adj.) – made smaller in size, especially by using special technology
    Example:

    The camera inside the phone is a miniaturized version of a large professional camera.


Article

Read the text below.

An iconic Tokyo building has found a new home in New York—at least part of it has. The Nakagin Capsule Tower hosted 140 tiny homes, and now one of those pods is on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).


The stacks of boxes with their distinctive circular windows were a local landmark in the Ginza District. Each was a ‘micro-dwelling,’ a tiny home just about big enough for one.


The Nakagin Capsule Tower was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and was added to Tokyo’s skyline in 1972. In 2022, the building was demolished—but it wasn’t the end for all its mini homes.


It’s traveled all the way to New York to go on display in the Museum of Modern Art’s street-level galleries. Inside, it’s been restored to its original condition, complete with a compact bathroom and electronics that would have been cutting edge in their day.


“This was a radical experiment in urban living in Tokyo in Japan, and it was part of a building that existed on the ground between 1972 and 2022. What we see is this miniaturized living interior or an inhabitable capsule that is about 100 square feet large. And it was intended for people to be able to spend the night in Tokyo, especially if they were workers or salarymen. Instead of commuting to the suburbs in the evening,” explains Evangelos Kotsioris, assistant curator in architecture and design at MoMA.


The way in which the building was used evolved over the decades, with rooms becoming student quarters, tea rooms, libraries and even DJ booths.


“The Nakagin Capsule Tower is the most famous example of the Metabolist architecture, an architectural movement that started in 1960 in Japan, and viewed architecture, buildings and cities as living organisms that could grow and evolve and change over time. In this case, this building was supposed to have multiple lives. The capsules would be replaced every 25 or 30 years. But in the case of this project, that didn’t happen. Yet, it was an extremely influential project for architects and the wider audience alike,” says Kotsioris.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Even though the Nakagin Capsule Tower was demolished, one capsule is preserved and restored for a museum. Why do you think it is important to preserve parts of old buildings or architectural experiments, even if the whole building is gone? Discuss.
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a very small space, like a “micro-dwelling?” Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The Nakagin Capsule Tower was designed based on the Metabolist architecture, which sees buildings and cities as “living organisms” that can grow, change, and evolve over time. How do you think a building or a city can be like a “living organism?” Discuss.
  • Do you think it is better to build buildings that last for a very long time or to follow Metabolist architecture that allows change? Why do you say so? Discuss.