The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Rights to rebuild iconic structure to go on sale
The architectural o ce of world-renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007) will sell the rights to reconstruct one of his signature buildings, the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, which is currently undergoing demolition. It is quite unusual for the holder of the copyrights to a famous building to o cially sanction reconstruction of the structure.
e Nakagin Capsule Tower, designed a half-century ago by Kurokawa and known for its distinctive cubic sections, is being demolished after having fallen into a dilapidated state.
e architectural o ce, Kisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates, will jointly sell the reconstruction rights in collaboration with Laetoli, a real estate crowdfunding rm based in Minato Ward, Tokyo. e rights enable the holder to construct the new building based on three-dimensional data created from the building’s blueprints, which are possessed by Kurokawa A&A.
e Nakagin Capsule Tower was completed in 1972 and stood out for its unique appearance of 140 residence capsules stacked in columns on top of each other like blocks.
e building embodied the Metabolism architectural movement, which started in Japan and theorized replication and mass production in architecture. (July 30)