image by jim o’connell for the new york times

as the residents of of kisho kurokawa’s 1972 capsule tower continue to call for its destruction the new york times’ writer nicolai ouroussoff asks why certain landmarks – in japan and throughout the developed world – are preserved, and others are not.

kurokawa's capsule tower demolition image by jim o’connell for the new york times

‘for many of us who believe that the way we treat our cultural patrimony is a fair measure of how enlightened we are as a society, the building’s demolition would be a bitter loss. the capsule tower is not only gorgeous architecture; like all great buildings, it is the crystallization of a far-reaching cultural ideal. Its existence also stands as a powerful reminder of paths not taken, of the possibility of worlds shaped by different sets of values.’

read the new york times article ‘future vision banished to the past’

shortly before his death in 2007 kisho kurokawa discussed the possible demolition of his capsule tower with tokyo art beat in the video below:

you can also see more images of the building here.

to read more about the ‘nakagin capsule towers’ by kisho kurokawa   on designboom, click here.