Dezeen Magazine

Exterior of Nakagin Capsule Tower facing demolition

This week the demolition of Tokyo's iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower commenced

This week on Dezeen, demolition began on the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo – a 20th-century metabolist landmark designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa.

The housing block is being torn down due to the deterioration of its concrete and steel structure.

Its modular interiors are currently being cleared out in preparation for asbestos removal, after which the building will be completely disassembled.

M&S Oxford Street replacement by Pilbrow & Partners
London mayor will not halt M&S demolition as "grounds did not exist" to intervene

Another building one step closer to demolition is the Marks and Spencer store on London's Oxford Street.

Mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Tuesday that he would not intervene to save the building following a "thorough assessment" of its carbon footprint.

Pavilion at Château La Coste designed by Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Niemeyer's final building opens in French vineyard

In other architecture news, the final building by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer opened at the Château La Coste vineyard in southern France.

Designed two years before Niemeyer's death in 2012, the curved white pavilion was conceived to sit comfortably within its peaceful surroundings.

HC Anderson hus was designed by Kengo Kuma
Kengo Kuma & Associates' HC Andersens Hus opens in Denmark

A Kengo Kuma-designed museum dedicated to author Hans Christian Andersen officially opened its doors this week in Odense, Denmark, following a soft launch last June.

Drawing on the fantastical worlds of Andersen's fairytales, the building is surrounded by winding maze-like hedges and features underground exhibition spaces that can be glimpsed through strategic cut-outs in the landscape.

Rendering of Neptune Space Lounge by Space Perspective
Space Perspective reveals design for "world's first" space lounge

In design news, this week saw the reveal of the "world's first" space lounge – a lounge-style travel capsule that was designed by space tourism company Space Perspective to offer a more comfortable experience than a traditional spacecraft.

As holidays outside of Earth's atmosphere become ever more realistic, we rounded up ten recent designs for space tourism including two hotels and a space station designed by Philippe Starck.

SylvanSport Go camping trailer parked by an isolated lake surrounded by mountains
Pop-up camping kit contained in compact SylvanSport Go trailer

This week also saw American outdoor equipment company SylvanSport unveil its Go camping trailer, which has a built-in pop-up tent and can be attached to almost any car.

Other popular projects this week included a storage-heavy apartment in north London, a house by the Norfolk coast and an archaeologist's office in Brasil with a garden courtyard.

Our lookbooks this week focused on exposed plaster walls and homes with sculptural staircases.