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After Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid's fanciful design for Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Stadium was scrapped in July, two Japanese architects have come forward and submitted new bids for the project. Both designs come with a price tag about $700 million less than the original $2 billion cost.
The Japan Sport Council received two competing proposals from Toyo Ito and Kengo Kuma. The new designs attempt to address the issues of Hadid's proposal, which had been criticized by Ito, Kuma and a host of other influential Japanese architects. Though Hadid won the stadium design competition in 2012, her design was ultimately rejected by the Japanese government following public outcry and criticism that the stadium as depicted was too large and out of context for the area.
With two new designs put forward, it will be interesting to watch the public reaction unfold. Kuma's design, scheme A, envisions a latticed wooden roof with tiers encased in vegetation. The building itself would only rise 50 metres as the pitch would be located below the ground, calming the fears of residents who thought Hadid's proposal was inappropriately scaled.
Ito's design, scheme B, also utilizes wood in its 72 perimeter pillars. The two-tiered stadium would include more glass than scheme A, as well as an undulating roof. The materials included in the design are meant to reflect fire, earth, metal, wood and water. Both schemes would accommodate 80,000 people.
Olympic stadiums are known for their extravagant and often outlandish designs. The Beijing National Stadium, affectionately nicknamed the Bird's Nest, received widespread acclaim for its deconstructivist appearance. More recently, London's Olympic Stadium received mixed reviews for its relative restraint, with many architecture critics questioning whether the building would become an icon for London the way the Bird's Nest had for Beijing. The 1976 Summer Games in Montreal featured a futuristic design that boasted the tallest inclined structure in the world. Although the design itself was well received, the stadium was plagued with construction issues. It was not finished in time for the opening ceremony and continuing construction problems delayed completion.
Unfortunately, despite their unique architecture, many stadiums that were built for the Olympics have since been demolished, gone into disrepair, or remained underutilized. Montreal's Olympic Stadium, which has lacked a main tenant since the local Major League Baseball team disbanded in 2004, has become a symbol for what seems to be a growing reluctance to bid for the Olympic Games. The high cost involved in hosting the international sporting event has been cited as a reason not to bid by several cities, including Toronto, Boston, Hamburg and Oslo.
A panel will select the winning Tokyo stadium design by the end of 2015. Originally scheduled for completion in spring 2019, that date has been pushed back to November. Additional images and information can be found in our Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
