Metabolism in architecture
Metabolism was a form of radical architecture that developed in Japan during the 1960s.
Presented with the opportunities of post-war rebuilding as a result of the devastation caused by the 1945 atomic bombs, designers and architects began to put into practice alternative theories and ideas for how cities should be designed.
Metabolism represented an urban environment that was responsive, replaceable and could grow in an organic way. It largely followed the ‘megastructure’ form that was gaining in popularity with architects and planners at the time, as a means of addressing the growing populations of urban areas and the rapidly-changing lifestyles of the post-war era. The principles of the megastructure were that it had to be modular, capable of extension and have a framework into which smaller elements could be ‘plugged’ or replaced.
The Japanese Metabolists were particularly inspired by University of East Anglia’s ‘Ziggurats’, as well as by Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 in Montreal. Although many projects failed to get off the ground, texamples of the Metabolist form include the battleship-esque New Sky Building in Shinjuku (see image above) and the Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo by Kisho Kurokawa.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Architectural styles.
- Art Moderne.
- Blobitecture.
- Brutalism.
- Buckminster Fuller.
- Constructivist architecture.
- Deconstructivism.
- Frei Otto.
- Fuji TV Building, Tokyo.
- Geodesic dome.
- Habitat 67.
- High-tech architecture.
- Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture.
- Lloyds of London.
- Megastructure.
- Nakagin Capsule Tower.
- Neo-futurism.
- Norfolk Terrace and Suffolk Terrace - ‘the Ziggurats’.
- Robot Building, Bangkok.
- The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Urban design.
[edit] External references
- ‘Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture’, MURPHY D., Verso Books (2015).
Featured articles and news
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Guide to ISO 19650 for Architecture Firms (2026)
A user gives their low down.
A UK training and membership provider for mould remediation professionals.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
Independent NSI and BAFE study exploring how organisations are changing the way they buy fire safety services.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.