An iconic 1970s Tokyo tower with futuristic ‘capsule apartments’ is set to be demolished after the building started to fall into disrepair.

The Nakagin Capsule Tower in the Japanese capital Tokyo, located near Shimbashi Station and close to the popular district of Ginza, is scheduled for demolition in March 2022 after falling into disrepair in recent years.

The tower, which resembles a stack of huge air conditioning units, was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa and constructed in 1972 as a marvel of modern architecture.

The building has 140 prefabricated capsule apartments that were intended to offer Tokyo officer employees a place to stay during the week to prevent long commutes to their hometowns.

However, in recent years only around 30 of the 140 capsule flats have been rented out and the building is in dire need of repairs.

According to local reports, Nakagin Capsule Tower has been battling threats of demolition since as far back as 2007 when the majority of owners agreed to tear the building down and replace it with a modern structure.

The architect opposed plans to demolish the tower, explaining that only the capsules needed modernising.

Despite many years of opposition to the demolition, the authorities have now scheduled for it to be torn down in March 2022.