Have you heard of the Metabolism movement in architecture? Born in Japan in the 1960s, this architectural movement described the avant-garde Japanese style of construction and shaping cities in the post-war period. And one of its pioneers was Kisho Kurokawa.
Kurokawa studied architecture at Kyoto University in 1957 and later completed his master’s degree at Tokyo University under Kenzo Tange. In 1960, he came into the limelight as one of the founding members of the Metabolism movement. For Kurokawa, architecture is not just about spaces or physical buildings; he advocated for concepts that revolved around biology, ecology, metabolism, and symbiosis.
In addition to his career as an influential architect, Kurokawa was an academician and a published writer who wrote extensively on metabolic architecture and city planning. He passed away in 2007.
Design Philosophy of Kisho Kurokawa
As a Metabolist architect, Kisho Kurokawa focused his work on the “Age of Life” principle. Back then, architectural ideologies influenced and were influenced by industrial machines, and Kurokawa rejected this notion. Biological terms such as metabolism or symbiosis were not just metaphors for Kurokawa but the very essence of the architect’s works. His design approach was rooted in the profound belief in the harmony between nature, technology, and humanity in modern society.
“When I am asked to define my style, I would probably say that it is a symbiotic style. What I mean is the simultaneous expression of conflicting things in a symbiotic manner; that’s my style.”
Kisho Kurokawa on his style
To him, architecture is or should be like a living organism that is constantly evolving and adapting to its environment. Remember that Kurokawa started working as an architect during the 60s when Japan was undergoing rapid industrialization. Rigid designs of modernism are not fit for this changing environment.
Understanding the Metabolism Movement
The Metabolism movement centered around the idea that our buildings and cities should be organic, to be able to respond to the ever-changing growth of a city. The inspiration comes from the idea of a living being with a ‘metabolism’ that is constantly evolving.
Many metabolic designs involved prefabricated structures that could be replaced when their lifespan is complete. The idea originated in Japan and gained international attention at the 1960 World Design Conference, at a time when the architecture world was looking for a new movement. Led by Kenzo Tange, a group of young Japanese architects, consisting of Fumihiko Maki, Kiyonari Kikutake, Masato Otaka and Kisho Kurokawa, presented their new philosophy as a manifesto called “Metabolism 1960: Proposals for a New Urbanism” at the 1960 World Design Conference in Tokyo.
Kurokawa and other metabolist architects were searching for a new concept that would free architecture away from the industrial society. Kurokawa wrote in his book, the Philosophy of Symbiosis, that the twentieth century was the age of the machine and Eurocentrism and that he wanted the new century to be the age of life. That resulted in the selection of terms centered around biology and life that depict metabolization, growth, and change.
The idea of Metabolist architecture slowly assimilated or evolved into “newer” ideas, the collective effort of its architects fading away in the 1970s. However, this is to be expected. These ideas are organic to be adaptable to change, and that’s what happened – adapted to new beginnings of many more architectural developments.
Achievements
Kisho Kurokawa was honored worldwide for his works multiple times during his lifetime. His remarkable achievements included the 48th Japan Art Academy Award in 1992, Gold Metal from the Academy of Architecture, France, in 1986, and the AIA Los Angeles Pacific Rim Award in 1997. His book “Philosophy of Symbiosis” was also awarded the Japan Grand Prix of Literature.
In addition to the awards, he was also a Life Fellow at the Architectural Institute of Japan and Royal Society of Arts (U.K), an Honorary Fellow at AIA and RIBA, and an advisor in the Prime Minister’s office of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2000-2004), and the governments of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Jiaozuo provinces.
6 Notable Projects of Kisho Kurokawa
Nakagin Capsule Tower
Location: Shimbashi, Tokyo, Japan
Construction Year: 1972
Demolished: 2022
A representative work of the late Kisho Kurokawa, the Nakagin Capsule Tower was a product of the Metabolism movement. The tower comprised 2 interconnecting concrete towers which were then connected to 140 individual capsule apartments. Each capsule served as a studio apartment or a full apartment fit for a family when connected. The interiors came pre-assembled off-site, including furniture. Once at the site, the completed capsule was lifted by a crane and fastened with the bolts to the main concrete shaft. The construction was completed in 1972.
The Metabolist idea behind the Tower was to replace these capsules as they reached their lifespan. The apartment modules were connected by high-tension bolts so that they could be easily replaced. However, this idea never came into effect.
By the 2010s, the Nakagin Capsule Tower was far from its intended flexible and organic use. The capsules were never replaced throughout the years, and time’s wrath was obvious. Another major issue was the large quantity of asbestos used in the building which no longer met the building regulations in Japan. Finally, in 2022, it was decided that the Tower would be dismantled. 23 capsules were removed and saved while the rest were demolished. Additionally, five capsules will be placed on the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.
The Capsule House
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Construction Year: 1973
In 1971, the Capsule House was designed by Kisho Kurokawa as a response to the growing urban population in Japan. This private building is situated on a slope, created in the same capsules as the Nakagin Capsule Tower. It is minimal, modular and compact, similar to Japanese architecture.
Although it was built soon after the Nakagin Capsule Tower, it is a lesser-known building of Kurokawa, most likely because it was a residence of Kurokawa himself. Today, it has been restored to its original state and is available as an Airbnb for interested visitors.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Location: Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
Construction Year: 1998
One of his more well-known commercial projects, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport was a project that showed Kurokawa’s expertise in designing functional public spaces. The design reflects the symbiosis between the Islamic Malay architecture and cutting-edge technology of the 20th century. The geometric abstraction of its hyperbolic paraboloid shell blends in with the concrete, steel and glass to cover the main terminal. The interior is a huge open space that allows flexible airy spaces to accommodate the large volume of visitors expected to travel through one of Asia’s largest airports.
Kurokawa took the symbiosis between nature and architecture further by creating a concentric forest garden within the terminal. In addition, a lush man-made forest also surrounds the airport, enhancing the aesthetic appeal while underscoring the architect’s commitment to the harmony between human, architecture and nature.
National Art Center Tokyo
Location: Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Construction Year: 2007
The National Art Center in Tokyo, Japan is one of the largest exhibition spaces in the country. Another example of Kisho Kurokawa’s symbiosis between architecture and nature, it was designed with the concept of an art center surrounded by green spaces. This aligns with the metabolism movement idea of growing organically in response to change and expansion – the trees would grow to surround the center entirely one day.
At the main facade, the curved glass wall as well as the conical main entrance create a striking entrance. But aesthetics are not the focus here; the building is equipped with seismic isolation devices, rainwater reuse system and other energy-saving measures.
The eye-catching facade is approximately 22 meters high with a length of over 160 meters. The energy-saving measures cut out the solar heat despite the undulated glass facade while creating a symbiotic relationship with the surroundings. The huge column-less exhibition spaces allow for efficient movement and display of artworks.
Van Gogh Museum Extension
Location: Museumplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Construction Year: 1999 (main museum: 1973, Kurokawa’s extension: 1999)
Kisho Kurokawa completed a new wing, named after the architect, for the Van Gogh Museum in 1999. His ideologies of symbiosis between nature and architecture, and the contrasting Japanese and European culture, are reflected in this project as well.
The Kurokawa wing is fairly small, consisting of just 1 basement and 2 upper stories. Much of the building’s area, excluding the main exhibition space, was designed to be underground to minimize the space and disruption to the landscape above ground. Kurokawa shared the same modernist idea of geometric abstraction of the original architect of the museum, Gerrit Rietveld, but he diverted from the linear style by bringing in curvilinear shapes and a Japanese take on abstraction.
Kurokawa also created a sketch for the entrance hall that would connect the old Rietveld building and the Kurokawa wing, but was never built. The design was further developed and completed by Hans van Heeswijk Architects.
The Agricultural City
Location: Unbuilt conceptual design
Construction Year: Concept proposed in 1960
The Agricultural City was a visionary concept conceived by Kisho Kurokawa in 1960 as an avant-garde solution to mitigating flooding in the region. It challenged the conventional design in urban planning to propose a more practical solution. Kurokawa took it a step forward by promoting harmony between urban living and agriculture when it usually had been quite antagonistic between the two. Kurokawa believed that agricultural cities have potential and that they are an integral part of our communities together with industrial and recreational aspects of cities.
The grid system of the Agricultural City concept promotes natural growth through autonomous households linked together to create a village. These units are without any hierarchy, making it easier to grow spontaneously.
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Construction Year: 1989
The Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art was the first art museum built in post-war Japan. According to its website, it was also the first public art museum exclusively for contemporary art in Japan. Kisho Kurokawa brought in his symbiosis philosophy in this design with a sequential change in the building materials as the visitor moves upwards – from natural stones to tiles to aluminium and concrete – that highlights the civilisation from the past to the future.
The unique architectural element of this museum is its center circular space. The cut in the roof of this circular space indicates the direction of the atomic bomb dropped onto the city. Two linear assemblages of spaces spread out on either side of this central space. The left side houses the permanent collections while the right is used for special exhibitions.
St.Petersburg Stadium
Location: Krestovsky Island, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Construction Year: 2017
FC Zenit Stadium, better known as St.Petersburg Stadium or Gazprom Arena, was one of the host stadiums during the 2018 World Cup. Kisho Kurokawa created the design not only to be used only as a football stadium but as a multi-purpose stadium. With that in mind, he also prepared a master plan for the area of Krestovsky Island where the stadium is located.
Both the roof and the field are retractable for better functionality as a multi-purpose stadium. Eight large masts suspend the flat monolithic roof which has become a symbol of the stadium. The design work began in 2005 and the project construction was finally completed in 2017 after a series of delays.
