Buildings of Tokyo - Nakagin Capsule Tower

Constructed in 1972 and designed by architect Kisho Kurakawa, this space-age looking building was made of inter-connected capsules, each of which was a very small fitted apartment. It's currently unoccupied and has so far survived plans for its demolition after protests by several architects. Whether it will survive long into the future is anyone's guess. This building is a short walk from Shinbashi station (8-16-10 Ginza) It was an interesting vision of the future at the time, and although it's starting to look a bit tatty now, it lead to the common capsule hotels which are seen in all Japanese cities today. The same architect, Kurokawa, later designed the first capsule hotel in Japan, which opened in Osaka in 1979.