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Metabolism is a movement, philosophy, and architectural style that arose and developed in Japan after World War II. It is inspired by the organic metabolism of living beings and stands out for its modular construction. One of the most important examples of metabolic architecture is the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo.
What is metabolism in architecture
As its name indicates, the metabolic movement or metabolism is distinguished because its design is based on the functioning of the metabolism of the cells of the human body and other living beings. It is an avant-garde architectural current.
Characteristics of the metabolic architecture
Metabolic architects held that houses and cities are not static entities, but are constantly changing. Therefore, the architecture had to be flexible and adapt to the needs of the inhabitants. Hence its comparison with “metabolism”, which allows cells to grow and change according to the needs of the organism.
Also, metabolists thought that traditional architecture was limited and had too short a lifespan. Therefore, the buildings had to be destroyed and replaced after a while.
Metabolism offered the possibility of more “organic” structures, with greater adaptation to population growth and better use of resources. They consisted of prefabricated modules that could be plugged in when needed and easily removed when out of use. In this way it was possible to increase the size of a space or decrease it, thus maximizing its use and practicality.
Metabolic architecture was characterized by having an infrastructure similar to a molecule or backbone. This structure functioned as an axis, to which prefabricated and replaceable capsules or modules could be attached.
history of metabolism
This architectural movement originated from the need to rebuild various cities from scratch after the devastation caused by World War II in Japan. The post-war period in this Asian country was a historical moment in which there were many destroyed cities and a great demand for housing. This dilemma provided the opportunity to carry out a new urban planning from the foundations and capture new ideas for the creation of cities and their future development.
The metabolism movement arose in 1960 and more precisely at the World Design Conference that took place in Tokyo that year. In it, a group of young Japanese architects, led by Kenzo Tange, presented a new form of urbanism, which they called metabolism. There they presented the design to build a floating city in Tokyo Bay.
The movement was called “United Metabolists” and was founded by Kenzo Tange (1913-2005), a Japanese architect who worked in collaboration with other Metabolist architects such as Kiyonari Kikutake, Fumihiko Maki, Masato Otaka, and Kisho Kurokawa.
Beginning in the 1960s, the metabolism was transformed into a renewed version of the organic architecture that had emerged a few decades earlier, fostered by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who in 1950 designed the Johnson Wax Research Tower.
Projects such as the 1953 City Tower by American architect Louis Khan and Chinese architect Anne Tyng are believed to have inspired Tange to venture into and expand this architectural model.
In 1961, the architect Kisho Kurokawa presented his DNA-inspired metabolic model, which he called the Helix City. In 1964, Austrian architect Friedrich St. Florian designed the 300-story Vertical City.
In 1967, Moshe Safdie, Kahn’s apprentice, included elements of metabolism in his innovative housing complex called Habitat ’67 in Montreal, Canada.
Despite offering solutions to various housing and urban planning problems in Japan, most metabolic projects, such as space cities and suspended cities, were considered too futuristic and were never carried out.
The latest metabolic projects were exhibited at the 1970 International Exposition, which was held in Osaka, Japan. In the years since, most metabolic architects stopped working together and pursued separate careers.
Examples of Metabolic Architecture
Some of the examples of metabolic architecture are:
- The Tokyo City Plan (Tange and Kikutake, 1960)
- The Habitat 67 housing complex in Montreal (Moshe Safdie, 1967)
- The design of the funnel city Intrapolis (Walter Jonas, 1960)
- The design of the Space City (Yona Friedman 1959-63)
- The Nakagin Capsule Tower built in Tokyo, Japan (Kisho Kurokawa, 1970)
- The design of the Akro-Polis City (Justus Dahinden, 1974)
- Kiryat Ono City in Israel (Justus Dahinden, 1984)
- The Kalikosmia building in Mexico (Juan José Díaz Infante)
- Polydom modular houses in Mexico (Raúl Alcalá Erosa, 1970)
- The designs of the Connected City, sustainable Modules and the Capsule Tower (Peter Cook, 1964-66)
- The designs of the Walking City and the Instant City (Ron Herron, 1964-70)
Metabolic architecture today
Although the Metabolist movement was superseded by other architectural trends, it is considered to be an important part of 20th century architecture and its influence can still be seen in modern architecture.
Some elements of metabolism, such as the construction of practical, sustainable, prefabricated and modular housing, are still being used; they are even regaining greater popularity. An example of this is the rise of modular architecture, prefabs, mini-container homes, and smart homes.
Bibliography
- González Capita, A. Kenzo Tange and the metabolists. (2012). Spain. Asymmetric Editions.
- Vázquez Piombo, P. Contemporary architecture in heritage contexts . (2016). Spain. ITESO.
- Various authors. Modern architecture from A to Z. (2019). Spain. TASCHEN.
