The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower at MoMA
From the MoMA Design Studio:
This exhibition features one of the last remaining capsules from the Nakagain Capsule Tower in Tokyo. The building, demolished in 2022, was an example of Metabolism—a Japanese architectural movement whose members believed that buildings could adapt over time.
MoMA’s capsule, A1305, anchors the exhibition and is visible to passersby on 53rd street. To pique their curiosity, we worked with the curatorial team to design a street-facing prompt that shares the history and significance of the capsule and invites them in with a question, “would you live here?”
Inside the museum, a bold title wall draws visitors in via a crowded lobby. The rounded typography is inspired by the capsule, and textured vinyl on the title wall directly references the capsule’s stucco-like exterior. Throughout the exhibition, the design balances English and Japanese titles as a respectful gesture to the building’s origin.
The exhibition’s signage combines Baste (from Lift Type) for the headlines with Source Han Sans for the Japanese text.
1 Comment on “The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower at MoMA”
I so badly want to visit this exhibit but I live too far from New York. 😭