CHAPTER 3.

Nakagin capsules

Nakagin Capsule Tower was designed by the Japanese Architect Kisho Kurokawa.
The mixed-use residential and office tower is a rare example of Japanese Metabolism,
an architectural movement emblematic of Japan's post-war cultural resurgence.
Kurokawa's design concept focuses on how to make the most efficient use of living
space to accommodate the everyday essentials of a person. He borrowed the "capsule"
terminology from the aerospace Industry (already aware that many spaceships have
Implemented the Idea of efficient area-usage) and retrofitted a rectangular cabin of 8
feet by 12 feet floor space with a built-in bathroom, double bed, desk, storage spaces,
TV, tapedeck, typewriter, calculator, clock radio, and a 2-burner stove.

 Architects: Kisho Kurokawa

 Location: Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
 Typology: Residential / Apartments
 Materials: Steel and Reinforced Concrete
 Stories: 13 Floors (140 Units)
 Site area: 442 M²
 Building area: 430 M²
 Total Floor Area: 3,091.23 m2
 Project Year: 1970 – 1972

Design and Construction

The building comprises two interconnected concrete towers that are, respectively,
eleven and thirteen floors housing 140 self-contained prefabricated capsules. The 140
capsules are hung off the concrete towers that contain the vertical communications.
The units are identical, prefabricated steel cells filled with a bath unit, conditioning
system, and color television. Built in Osaka, they were transported to Tokyo by truck.
The assembly time for each capsule took three hours. Within one month, the capsules
were all sold.

FUNCTION
Each capsule measures 2.5 m (8.2 ft) by 4.0 m (13.1 ft) with a 1.3-meter diameter
window at the end. They function as a small living space or office and can be
connected to create larger areas. Each capsule is connected to one of the two main
shafts only by four high-tension bolts and is designed to be replaceable.

ASSEMBLING

The capsules were fitted with utilities before being shipped to the building site, where
they were assembled. Each capsule was attached independently and cantilevered from
the shaft so that any capsule could be removed easily without affecting the others. The
capsules are all-welded lightweight steel-truss boxes clad in galvanized, rib-reinforced
steel panels, which were coated with rust-preventative paint and finished with a coat
of Kenitex glossy spray after processing.

 capsule exterior: steel with sprayed paint finish

 capsule interior: steel capsule with cloth ceiling and floor carpet
 towers: corten structural steel frame
 lower levels: fair-faced reinforced concrete

STRUCTURE

The cores are made in reinforced concrete. From the basement to the second floor,
ordinary concrete was used; above those levels, lightweight concrete was used.
Shuttering consists of large panels, the height of a single story of the tower. Because
of the pattern in which two days of steel-frame work were followed by two days of
precast-concrete work, the staircase was completely operational by the time the
framework was finished. On-site construction of the elevators was shortened by
incorporating the 3-D frames, the rails, and anchor indicator boxes in the precast
concrete elements and by employing prefabricated cages.

PLANNING
  The building is composed of two interconnected concrete towers, respectively
eleven and thirteen floors, which house 140 self-contained prefabricated
capsules. Each capsule measures 2.3 m (7.5 ft) by 3.8 m (12 ft) by 2.1 m (6.9
ft) and functions as a small living or office space. Capsules can be connected
and combined to create larger spaces.
 It's show the interlocking system between two capsules (which can be used to
accommodate a small family), a one capsule unit, and the bathroom.

Pre-fabricated Units and On-site construction

Construction occurred on site and off site. On-site work included the two towers and
their energy-supply systems and equipment, while the capsule parts were fabricated
and the capsules were assembled at a factory. Nobuo Abe, was a senior manager,
managing one of the design divisions on the construction of the Nakagin Capsule
Tower.

Construction and Metabolism Kurosawa imagined that the capsules would be updated
occasionally with new technologies and replaced completely every 25 years. But the
cost of doing so proved too high, and the building has since fallen into disrepair.
Connections between parts The cores are rigid-frame, made of a steel frame and
reinforced concrete. From the basement to the second floor, ordinary concrete was
used; above those levels, lightweight concrete was used.

Shuttering consists of large panels the height of a single storey of the tower. In order
to make early use of the staircase, precast concrete was used in the floor plates and the
elevator shafts. Because of the pattern in which two days of steel-frame work were
followed by two days of precast-concrete work, the staircase was completely
operational by the time the framework was finished. On-site construction of the
elevators was shortened by incorporating the 3-D frames, the rails, and anchor
indicator boxes in the precast concrete elements and by employing prefabricated
cages.
The lift shafts are circled by spiral staircases
linking the many staggered levels Constructed of
precast reinforced concrete, the stairs where
useable soon after each floor was installed and
included components for the running of the lifts,
reducing build

Large trucks brought

capsules from the
assembly plant 450km
away in Shinagawa. The
capsules were reloaded
onto smaller trucks before
weaving their way into
downtown Tokyo.
 The capsules where prefabricated in a
shipping container factory. They are
welded lightweight steel-truss boxes. Clad
with galvanises ribbed steel panels, a coat
of rust prevention paint and a glossy spray
of kenitex. (an impervious weatherproof
plastic with estimated 20 year life span)

 Service risers are in fact exterior fins on the lift shafts, concealed by the attatched
capsules
 Lifted by crane and bolted with four high-tension bolts to the lift core. All where
attached in 30 days
DETAILED STRUCTURE & CAPSULE’S CONNECTION

The tower is composed of two interconnected concrete towers, respectively

eleven and thirteen floors which contain the vertical comunications. The cores
are made of steel frame and reinforced concrete. From the basement to the
second floor, ordinary in situ concrete was used and light wieght conctrete
was used on the upper levels.
In order to make early use of the staircase, precast concrete was used for the
floor plates and elevator shafts. The construc tion pattern allowed two days of
steel-framework followed by two days of pre-cast concrete, making the
staircase completely operational by the time the framework was finished.

On-site construction of the elevators was reduced by incorporating the frames,

rails, and anchor indicator boxes in the pre cast concrete elements, and by
employing prefabricated cages. The 140 capsules that are hung on the
concrete towers are identical, prefabricated steel cells containing various
utilities

1. steel frame

2. insitu concrete

3. plug-in service fins DESIGN EVOLUTION

4. pre-cast concrete lift shaft

5. pre-fabricated lift cage

6. pre-fabricated floor plates

7. capsule cluster

8. upper connection bracket

1. Parts of the museum would be exposed
9. lower connection bracket
in daylight thanks to openings built
10. pre-fabricated capsule into the dock walls, making it possible
to accommodate staff in close
proximity to the exhibition.

2. Inside out: BIG suggested keeping the

dry dock's original character and
enclosing the museum spaces around it
rather than filling it with exhibition
galleries.
To prevent floods and provide a waterfront promenade, BIG suggested building a
bridge at the dock's seaward end. Another bridge would give people access to the
castle, and a third V-shaped bridge would ricochet between the dock walls, giving
people access to the museum entrance. Additional areas would include a café, two
auditoria (one for adults and one for children), and a gallery for transient exhibitions
beneath the bridges. The submerged museum organised as a descending loop of
galleries, interspersed by shortcuts through the spaces beneath the bridges.
 View From Ground Level View of floor below ground
STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
A crucial problem was the fact that the dry dock's floor experienced upward pressure
from the ground water beneath. To counteract this force, it had been designed as a 2.5-
metre-thick concrete plate, so that the downward pressure of soil on the plate's edges
would offset the water pressure coming from beneath and from the sides. To build the
museum, it would be necessary to remove the soil from around the dock and so there
would no longer be any natural downward weight to keep its floor and walls in place.
Consequently, there was a danger that the water's upward force would cause the dock
to rise slowly out of the ground by as much as five metres. Rambøll suggested drilling
much deeper and anchoring the bottom of the dry dock into the chalk bedrock.

Sheet Anchors

Ground Anchors

Dock Floor

Dock Wall

Slurry wall was built all the way around the perimeter of the museum's site, reaching
five metres into the layer of chalk, approximately 42 metres below ground level.
Slurry is a soft waterproof material combining bentonite clay, cement and water. By
digging a 400 metre-long, 50 cm wide trench, all the way around the site's perimeter
and pumping it full of slurry, reinforced at the top with 10-metre-deep corrugated steel
sheeting, it would be possible temporarily to waterproof the construction zone. Inside
this wall, the ground water could be lowered temporarily using pumps without the risk
of more seepage.
CHALLENGES

1. The weight of the Earth held down

the dry docks concrete bottom plate
keeping it in place.

2. If the Earth was removed the dock’s

surrounding will be quickly flooded
and upward pressure would begin act
upon the bottom plate

CONSTRUCTION OF SLURRY WALL

The construction company proposed to

dig a 42-metre-deep trench all the way
3. Water pressure would force the dock
around the dry dock, making contact
out of the ground its estimated rise
with the limestone stratum. By filling
being out of the ground by 5 meters.
the trench with waterproof slurry, the
earth around the dock could be
removed,were
Anchors enabling building
drilled work to
at an angle
commence.
through the corrugated steel sheet to
Removal of Slurry was poured during 12mhold
deepbottom
corrugated
the slurry sheet
wall was while
The plate andinexterior
place wallsthe
of
digging to prevent collapse positioned at the top removed.
for water
existing Earth earth was
the museum being
galleries wereproofing
cast in
The water level
waterproof was lowered
concrete, and the
and ground
dry dockwere
anchors wall installed.
was detained after the
The Ground water continued to flow
wall was installed
exerting an upward pressure. The roof
of the museum was installed to
complete the construction.
INFLUENCE FROM DOCK

A row of benches surrounds the

edges of the dock to stop vehicles
from crashing into it. These have
mooring bollard shapes that fit
in with the surroundings.

In order to transfer the weight of the

flooring to the steel components embedded
in the box construction above, anchor
chains hang through the ceiling soffit.
When such maritime features are
included into architecture, they serve as
functional parts of the underlying structure
rather than serving as a point of reference
or scenic detail.

CONCLUSION

The lightness and transparency of glass and

steel clash with the robust, unfinished
surfaces of concrete and wood as old
meets new. The glass incisions reveal
cross-sections of the historic dock walls.
When BIG decided to turn it into a public courtyard at the centre of the new museum
rather than filling the empty dock, they introduced the idea of adaptive reuse. They
then constructed a number of bridges that were carved into the 60-year-old walls. The
Danish Maritime Museum is a part of the KulturhavnKronborg initiative, a drive to
add cultural attractions to Helsingr's harbour, and is situated around the mediaeval
Kronborg Castle. A museum was created from The Dock by surrounding the ancient
dock with the museum, it is possible to conserve the historic building while also
converting it into a courtyard that lets light and air into the centre of the submerged
museum.The architect also emphasises that the presence of the dock allows the
museum to be visible, without impacting on views towards the adjacent castle.

To maintain the heritage of the Hamlet’s Castle BIG completely invisible and
underground which are needed to maintain, but to be able to attract visitors there
need’s a strong public presence, leaving the dock as an urban abyss provides the
museum with an interior facade facing the void and at the same time offers the
citizens of Helsingør a new public space sunken eight metres below the level of the
sea.A trio of double-level bridges span the dock. The first run directly across, forming
an extension of the harbour promenade, while the second and third lead visitors
gradually down to the museum's entrance.The new 6,000 m² (65,000 ft²) museum
finds itself in a unique historical context adjacent to one of Denmark's most important
buildings, Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site - known from
Shakespeare's Hamlet. It is the book to KulturhavnKronborg, a joint effort involving
the renovation of the Castle and two new buildings – offering a variety of culture
experiences to residents and visitors to Helsingør.

THE HIGHLINE
INTRODUCTION:

The High Line, commonly referred to as the High Line Park, is a 1.45-mile linear park
constructed in Manhattan on an elevated portion of the West Side Line, a former New
York Central Railroad spur. The Promenade Plante in Paris became the inspiration for
the renovation and planting of the High Line as an aerial greenway and rails-to-trails
park. In May 2003, James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio + Renfro
competed against 720 teams from 36 countries to win the infrastructure conversion
project of the New York City High Line.

The 13-mile project increased Riverside Park's size by 32 acres while removing 105
street-level train crossings. In addition to serving as a green corridor in a busy city, it
now brings in tourists and improves the neighbourhoods nearby. The High Line
surface is digitalized into discrete units of paving and planting that are constructed
along the 1.5 miles into a variety of gradients, ranging from 100% paving to 100%
soft, thickly vegetated biotopes, using an agri-tecture strategy - half agricultural, part
architecture.The High Line commemorates 15 years of effective advocacy for the
complete structure's preservation.The High Line proves that a site-specific, adaptive
reuse approach is a viable holistic alternative that embraces both change and
continuity.
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE:

 1847
o The City of New York permitted the construction of street-level
railroad tracks on Manhattan's West Side in 1847. The railroads
employed workers to ride horses and wave flags in front of the trains
for safety reasons. But because of all the mishaps, Tenth Avenue
earned the nickname "Death Avenue."
 1934
o The West Side Improvement Project includes the opening of the High
Line to trains. When transporting commodities to and from
Manhattan's main industrial zone, it is intended to traverse via blocks
rather than cross the avenue.

 1980
o After decades of expansion in the interstate transportation sector, the
final train on the High Line runs in 1980. While Peter Obletz and a
group of property owners fights against the demolition plans in court
for demolition of the rail line.
 1999
o Joshua David and Robert Hammond, who live in the High Line area,
created The High Line to promote the High Line's preservation and
repurposing as a public open space and elevated greenway.
 2003
o The planning framework for the High Line's preservation and reuse
begins. A study done by on the High Line finds that the project is
economically rational, and leads to an open ideas competition.
 2004
o People of the High Line and the City of New York choose the design
team, which consists of Piet Oudolf - designer, Diller Scofidio, Renfro,
and James Corner for Field Operations, a landscape architecture firm.

 2009 - Section1 opens to Public

 2011 - Section 2 opens to public
  2014 - Final phase of New York
Highline -Railyard opens to public

after getting approval in 2012.

The entire span of Highline goes through all types of land usage, making it a prime
advantage of Adaptive Reuse. It offers a contrast to the skyscraper and business
facade elevation of New York's streetscape. The highline is accessible to people of all
economic backgrounds. The proposal by Architects includes over a dozen access
points to the elevated park. Whichever entrance is activated, a key component will
attract users to spend time and explore the complete park based on the context. For
instance, enter a little past 14th St. and enjoy the sundeck and water feature; enter
close to 23rd St. to lounge on the open lawn and seating steps; or enter past 26th St. to
enjoy the viewing area. Despite being entirely pedestrian, it receives a lot of visits
each year and is encouraging other redevelopments of this kind across the nation.

DESIGN ASPECT

The High Line's architectural makeover is characterized by three design principles:

first, repaving the line with concrete planks to allow water to flow through the floor
and encourage plant life to coexist with each other across the area. Second, create
relaxing seating areas, meandering walks, and adaptable open spaces to accommodate
a variety of passive and active programmes to slow down New Yorkers. Maintain the
High Line's scale as an alternative to Manhattan's paradigm, which is constantly
expanding and has an insatiable ambition to be larger, better, brighter, and louder.

To clean up, strengthen, and modernise the part that would be utilised, the first step
was to remove some of the existing structures components. For instance, the old
railroad tracks that were integrated into the creation of flower beds for planting were
restored and brought back to their original locations after many areas where they had
been removed. The creation of the park's landscape is the last step in converting the
High Line into a public park.

Above the waterproof layer of concrete, conical flat plates and cement were used to
construct the paths in the park, allowing spaces between them for drainage and
electrical conduit. Visitors can enter from the street level thanks to the construction of
steps and elevators.Where there is no elevator, it also includes wheelchair access
points.
STRUCTURE

The existing layer of old concrete, the steel rails, the gravel, the dirt, and other debris
had to all be removed before the new concrete construction could take shape.As each
piece of rail was removed, it was marked and mapped so that later, it could be
returned to its original location as an integrated planting piece. All that was required
is to reach the High Line's steel frame and the required maintenance were done. Some
of these modifications required installing drainage systems on the old building and
waterproofing for the steel beams embedded in concrete.

Instead of reinforcement, gravel is used to reinforce the concrete that makes up the
route, giving it a textured appearance. By casting this concrete in various ways,
architects can create a variety of features. This concrete has been moulded to be
interactive, aesthetically pleasing, and functional way in addition to being a structural
component.

STAIRS

To allow the steps to pass through the High Line's framework from the visitor centre
and replace existing beams with the steel beams, some of the beams have been
removed. Elevators are also available at certain locations for the disabled in addition
to the staircases, many of which have concealed or intricate entrances.

LANDSCAPE

The self-seeded vegetation that grew on the abandoned elevated rail rails over the 25
years after trains stopped operating served as inspiration for the planting scheme on
the High Line. With a focus on native plants, the perennial, grass, shrub, and tree
species were chosen for their hardiness, sustainability, and textural and colour variety.
The park's terrain has many of the species that were once found on the rail bed of the
High Line. The property has been divided up into various planting zones. These
nurseries have been used to choose the plants. Different varieties of grass, bushes,
bulbs, perennial trees, and tropical plants like banana trees make up the
vegetation.Precast concrete planters made of wood and aged steel, similar to those
used on the access stairway side walls, were used to cover the pavements.
The design attempted to transform this industrial conveyance into a post-industrial
instrument of pleasure, drawing inspiration from the wild seeded landscape left
behind after the line had been abandoned. The design team developed a new paving
and planting system that allows for varying ratios of hard to soft surface that transition
from high-use areas to richly vegetated biotopes, with a variety of experiential
gradients in between, using the strategy of "agri-tecture"—part agriculture, part
architecture.To adapt to changing needs in urban surroundings, the new space will
provide greening opportunities, alternative transportation options, and social
advantages.

RAIL TRACK

Each piece of the railway was marked and its location was mapped during transfer so
that it could be stored for subsequent return to its original site and integration with
other attractive plantings.Following the move, the steel elements of the structure of
the High Line were treated with a sand blasting to remove lead from the original
painting. The top layer is closest to the original colour of the High Line.
LIGHTING

The High Line's fabric contains LED components that illuminate the park's pathways
at night. The lights are positioned so that it is safe to walk while also allowing people
to take in the ambient light. In order to softly illuminate the walkway, these lights
have also been added at the bottom, in the spaces between the beams. Aluminium and
stainless steel make up the lighting structures. The night view of the highline is made
more appealing and noticeable by experimenting with the height of the light strips.

ELEMENTS OF HIGHLINE

The High Line's peel-up benches, which seem a natural extension of the path itself,
are one of its distinguishing features. A larger pathway and the new assortment of
chairs help to open up the park a little. Along with the peel-up bench, other seating
options include peel-up tables, wooden beach chairs, wooden stepped seating, and
exposed steel structural beams. Additionally, the shape of the ground is altered to
create steps that serve as areas to sit.
CONCLUSION

The High Line doesn't go above two stories and instead emphasises its lateral nature
due to its unusual design. This is achieved through a variety of design elements,
including staircases that seem to drop from the superstructure and an urban theatre
that progressively recedes into the park, accentuating specific moments by a modest
act of depression. The High Line emphasises the human condition by serving itself.
The High Line draws attention to daily activities by providing a platform for regular
people, such as the reflective flâneur, the wandering pair, the street photographer, and
the musician.

Chelsea, which was gritty and in general disrepair in the late twentieth century, has
been revitalised as a result of the recycling of the railway into an urban park. In the
communities that are close to the line, it has also sparked real estate growth. Mayor
Bloomberg said that the High Line project had a role in the neighborhood's
resurgence, which by 2009 saw the planning or building of more than 30 projects.
Along the High Line, the urban environment is changing. Along the route, there are a
number of large construction projects under way. Even buildings that aren't receiving
big restorations are adjusting to the park's presence.

Although most people who bought flats near the High Line Park have adjusted to it
positively, some have complained that it has turned the park into a "tourist-clogged
catwalk" since it opened. Although several well-established businesses in west
Chelsea have shuttered as a result of a decline in neighbourhood patronage or rent
rises, the real estate boom has not gone unnoticed. However, property prices and
assessments increase along with rentals.