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Metabolism (architecture) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center in Tokyo3
The Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center in Tokyo is a well-known example of Metabolism.

Metabolism is a kind of architecture that began in Japan around 1960. This way of designing buildings came out of the rebuilding of Japan after World War II. Members of the group include: Kiyoshi Awazu, Noboru Kawazoe, Kiyonori Kikutake, Kisho Kurokawa, Fumihiko Maki, Masato Otaka, and Kenzō Tange. They wrote a short book in English and Japanese called "The proposals for a New Urbanism" for the World Design Conference in 1960. Many Metabolist projects or designs were very large city plans called megastructures. The members thought of cities as living things that changed over long periods of time.

These architects were interested in building housing for large numbers of people. They often planned buildings that could be changed. One example is the Nakagin Capsule Tower by Kurokawa (1972). Each apartment was a rectangular block with one round window. These blocks could be added, moved, or removed as needed. It was a "plug-in building". Kurokawa planned for new, better capsules to be added to replace old ones. However, people living in the tower plan to tear it down and rebuild a larger building.

Images for kids

  • 2018 Nakagin Capsule Tower 02

    The Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo displays small apartment units (capsules) attached to a central building core

  • Marine City sketch by Kikutake 1958

    Marine City sketch by Kikutake, 1958

  • Marinacity466

    Kikutake used a photo of Marina City to illustrate the idea of capsules plugged onto a central tower

  • Tokyo Bay Plan by Tange 1960

    Tokyo Bay Plan, project of the Metabolist and Structuralist movement, 1960 (Kenzo Tange)

  • E73a14 176e383174c04c1780e630dc4ef60736 mv2

    Urban master plan of Skopje 1963

  • KyotoInternationalConferenceHall 01

    The Kyoto International Conference Center

  • Yamanashi Culture Chamber

    The Yamanashi Press and Broadcaster Centre

  • Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center. Ginza, Tokyo.

    Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Tower

  • Nakagin

    Nakagin Capsule Tower

  • Hillside Terrace A B 2010

    Hillside Terrace

  • Tokyo 1945-3-10-1

    Tokyo after bombing, 1945

  • Osaka Expo'70 Festival Plaza

    The roof of the Festival Plaza, Osaka Expo 1970

  • EXPO TOWER

    Kikutake's Expo Tower, Osaka Expo 1970

  • Toshiba-IHI Pavilion

    Kurokawa's Toshiba-IHI Pavilion, Osaka Expo 1970

  • Embassy of Kuwait in Japan

    Kuwait Embassy and Chancellery of Japan (1970)

  • Model of Aquapolis

    Model of the Aquapolis, Okinawa Ocean Expo 1975

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Movimiento metabolista para niños

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