[michaelplogue]

http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/05/04/mod ... le-towers/

http://www.juergenspecht.com/documentations/?number=19

[ivox3]

A fascinating building .....

I think it a shame.

[LesliePere]

Is that like... 1 family per cube?

[Dexel]

Sad story.
I wonder why there is no hip lifestyle co. hyping up this thing for real renovation / capsule exchange. Wasn't that the metabolism concept anyway? Seems to have been emulated by the concept of sheer econobolism:

The new building will increase floor area by 60 percent.

And Les, I dont think the new building will offer more space per person. It's central Tokyo.

[cali3d]

I find it sad they will remove it, since it has a design worthy history. But if its pretty - definately no! more interesting than pretty. In my oppinion.

[-Adrian]

Oh yes, it stood in many cities my trains passed... RIP

[aitraaz]

hmmm this is an interesting one, i think there's valid points of view about this from all sides. Architects in general tend to have polarized pov's about this, so maybe it's better to hear from non-architects points of view.

We live in strange times, IMHO, it's the market (or marketing) and capital running the show, and as would be expected, under these conditions, we are witnessing the unleashing of incredible creative forces together with incredible destructive forces, and its anything but rational....

[yves]

they should at least be selling these boxes. I'd love to have some of them if I had the money

[michaelplogue]

I saw one comment that the main reason why they are not trying to renovate it is that the concrete for the main core of the building has deteriorated too much due to water damage.

However, I would think that this would be a great candidate for a complete move. Abandon the core, and rebuild another one in a different location, utilizing the original pods. Rather than use as permanent dwellings, I'd use it as a hotel.

I'd hazard to guess that this concept was the inspiration for the capsule (or coffin) hotels in Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel

[Leonardo]

What it doesn't come with an IPOD??? demolish that thing !!


what a shame, it looks pretty cool ... I wouldn't mind living in it, although my fiance would kill me

[x_site]

its experimental architecture... it has architectural merit but commercially it's a blot on the landscape of hotel design. They should diasemble it and re-build it elsewhere...