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one capsule
一個のカプセル
one capsule
一個のカプセル
ONE CAPSULE RENOVATION PROJECT
One capsule renovation project is a part of the bigger project regarding the renovation of the famous Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo - the icon of Japanese avant-garde movement called Metabolism, and the original capsule building making a starting point for capsule hotels. Although the fate of this piece of architecture is uncertain the capsules are being renovated on their own by the owners themselves or through the enthusiastic collaboration of different parties, one of which resulted in this renovation project.
Project team:
Client/Project lead: (Nakagin Capsule Tower Preservation and Restoration Project) Tatsuyuki Maeda
Project manager/Crowdfunding manager: (Hello Renovation by Enjoy Works) Takao Matsushima
Renovation works: (Callac) Tetsuya Otsuka
Designer: Volodymyr Dereznichenko
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Guidance/Consultation: Taishin Shiozaki, Takao Matsushima, Ilgin Ezgi Tunc
Support: Yushiro Hirose, Masaoki Ono
Visualization: Yuriy Sytnik
Photos: Colin Chejin
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Size: 10 sq m
Year: 2018
Project started as call for ideas to put the one capsule on crowdfunding. Willing to apply I submitted my project to update the capsule's design and hence became responsible for a design part.
Since the creator of the building, Kisho Kurokawa, himself thought to update capsules through time, the renovation works implied reconsideration of the capsule's design to fit modern times. Moreover, the capsule dilapidated until the bones, thus, ironically, except the unit bathroom made from plastic, there was nothing more to preserve. We decided to turn this disadvantage into opportunity.
What is why sofa storage was created. It leans to the visiting card of the capsule - round window and taking aside the beautiful view on former imperial gardens and Tokyo Bay, the average person perfectly fits inside. Except for another storage near the window, the remaining space is empty corresponding to a zero function which may convert from here to any other.
The spacious cutting edge electronics for 1970s, if updated, nowadays fit inside a smartphone, leaving the more space for the resident oneself. Moreover, the capsule gets a piece of IOT what seems to remain a trend for the next decades. Lights, sound and air conditioning are controlled by apps installed into a smartphone, therefore, the resident is able to adjust (metabolize) the space depending on one's preferences. The resident, when moved in, receives instruction on how to set up space, making it, in a sense, the electronic device itself because the truly futuristic concept of a capsule home should not be omitted.
What, nevertheless, does not fit inside the current paradigms of social individualistic behaviors, thus, the capsule itself may deserve its own identity. The unique Ukrainian pattern combining both of two cultures and, nonetheless, traditions together with technology is created in Ukraine and brought to the capsule to decorate one of the walls, making possible to feel cozy inside the allegorical spaceship.
In any case, the capsule project fulfills the goal to become a liveable space again, gains public support and, lastly, contributes to a revival of the rare capsule architecture.
WINDOW SOFA
LIVING SPACE
BATH UNIT
ENTRANCE
Copyright© 2020. Volodymyr Dereznichenko. All Rights Reserved
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