The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has acquired and put on display a capsule from the demolished Nagakin Capsule Tower in Tokyo. The capsule, designated A1305, is the centerpiece of a year-long exhibition titled "The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower," which also includes archival materials such as photographs, models, films, and recordings. The tower, designed by Kisho Kurokawa and completed in 1972, was a landmark of the Metabolism movement, featuring 140 prefabricated modules. After years of decline, it was demolished in 2022, but 23 capsules were salvaged, with 16 finding homes in institutions including MoMA.
The exhibition matters because it preserves a rare surviving example of Metabolism, an architectural movement that sought to integrate biology and technology into urban design. By foregrounding the social life and preservation efforts surrounding the tower, the show highlights how architecture can embody multiple narratives—as concept, dwelling, and memory. It also underscores the importance of community advocacy in saving cultural heritage, even after a structure's physical destruction, and offers visitors a tangible connection to a visionary but short-lived urban experiment.