Urban design: Metabolism movement

Metabolism movement

 

Examples of structures from the Metabolism movement(Kitutake city).

http://outsiderjapan.pbworks.com/f/1288706783/kikutakecity.jpg

   The birth of metabolism started during the 1950s after world war II, Japan was in need of residential and urban housing structures that could maximize efficiency. Due to Kenzo Tange's influence, The Metabolist, which consisted of a young group of architects and city planners, mainly colleagues and students of Kenzo, was formed. Kenzo Tange had a very strong influence of the birth  of metabolism. His masterplans for Hiroshima was a starting point. The metabolists concerned themselves with creating houses that can hold high densities of people. The architectural style of the buildings share many similarities to the International style in materials and lack of ornamentation. The Metabolists dismissed local architectural beliefs and developed a new concept of form and function.

    The metabolism movement had it's eyes on developing and building on newly conquered land such as China, Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam. The designs were envisioned to rise from tabula rasa, a blank slate. Metabolism progressed from unrealised plans to futuristic cities, and some structures took the form of experimental architecture. Ironically, the destruction of Japan would provide these metabolist architects with their blank slate to design on. The name "Metabolism" refers to the dynamic, flexible and organic type of architectural style. Kenzo Tange's plan for Tokyo in 1960 set out his associates and his ideas for a city to span out onto Tokyo Bay.

 Kenzo Tange and his plan for Tokyo in 1960

img: http://architecturalmoleskine.blogspot.sg/2011/10/metabolist-movement.html

  Nakagin capsule tower, an example of the different architectural style of the Metabolists

img: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Nakagin_Capsule_Tower_2007-02-26.jpg

  The Nakagin capsule tower has become a symbol of Metabolism. It demonstrates housing in the form of a detachable unit. The units can be installed into a concrete core, with 4 high tension bolts.

 The unit system with the bolts.

http://sellingtokyo.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/nagakin-capsule-bolt.gif

    Metabolism also became involved with arts and design through the environment, apart from architecture and urban planning. One of the results from the involvement was the "From space to environment" exhibition, which introduced expo '70. From that time, Kenzo and other metabolism architects began to work at a global level. Sine then, they have produced many projects that put the idea of metabolism in use.