MoMA narrates 'The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower'

The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower exhibition at MoMA – Photo by Jonathan Dorado.

Architecture. At street level in MoMA in New York, you can now step inside one of Tokyo’s most intriguing architectural experiments. The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower is a vibrant exhibition that retraces the 50-year journey of a building that once embodied Japan’s wildest dreams for the future—and still manages to surprise us today.

RELATED STORIES: Find out more about the Nakagin Capsule Tower.

The Nagakin Capsule Tower by Kisho Kurasawa in 1972 – Photo by Tomio Ohashi.

Designed by visionary architect Kisho Kurokawa in 1972, the tower was made up of 140 tiny, pod-like apartments stacked like Lego bricks. Each one-person unit came fully fitted with prefab furniture and a Sony colour TV—a compact crash pad for Tokyo’s on-the-go businessmen. Built from concrete and steel, it was the real-life expression of Metabolism, a radical Japanese movement that imagined buildings as living organisms that could grow, adapt, and evolve over time.

Exhibition at MoMA – Photo by Jonathan Dorado.

The heart of the MoMA show is Capsule A1305, carefully restored with as many original details as possible, from the built-in audio gear to the retro finishes. Only 14 capsules were restored after the building was dismantled in 2022, and MoMA snagged this one in 2023. Seeing it up close feels like peeking into the future as imagined half a century ago.

Inside the fuly restored capsule at MoMA – Photo by Jonathan Dorado.

Curated by Evangelos Kotsioris and Paula Vilaplana de Miguel, the show unfolds across two colour-coded sections—splashed in bold orange and pink. The first section looks at the tower’s utopian beginnings, from Kurokawa’s visionary concept to the eventual decay and demolition of the building. The second dives into the unexpected afterlife of its surviving capsules: some have turned into second homes, student digs, tea rooms, galleries, or even DJ booths.

Inside of of the unit of the Nagakin Capsule Tower in 1974 – Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, Alice and Tom Tisch/ The Nagakin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project.

Beyond the restored capsule, you’ll find rare gems like the original model from the early ’70s, archival footage, tenant interviews, and a virtual tour of the building in its prime. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a once-futuristic idea that still feels surprisingly relevant today.

Promotional brochure for the Nakagin Company, 1971 – Courtesy of Tatsuyuki Maeda and The Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project.

The exhibition reminds us that cities, like the Nakagin Tower, are always in flux. Buildings age, shift, and get reimagined—often in ways their creators never expected. And that’s exactly what makes urban life so exciting. Catch it at MoMA through July 12, 2026.