Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design new stadium for 2020 Olympics

Renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s design was selected Tuesday for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics stadium, which will be the main venue for the international sports event.

Kuma’s design, which incorporates wood and has terraces laced with greenery, was picked over that of Japanese architect Toyo Ito.

The Japan Sport Council, or JSC, announced on Dec. 14 that two designs named A and B so as not to reveal the names of the architects had been selected, and one would be chosen to replace the stadium that served as the venue for the 1964 Olympics.

The Japanese government and the organizing committee decided to carry out a new selection process for the stadium after the original design, by Zaha Hadid, was scrapped in July due to its high cost.

The new stadium, with a seating capacity of around 60,000, has a budget of 149 billion yen ($1.2 billion), almost half of the one designed by Hadid, and it is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2019.

The 61yearold Kuma said the most difficult part was finding a balance between respect for the environment the new stadium will be located in a green area in Tokyo and the budget.

“Traditionally, in Japan, large buildings are made of wood. Although this one may be on a much larger scale, I want to show the world that we can apply our traditional technique to this type of construction,” Kuma, whose firm in the Japanese capital has more than 150 employees, said.

In addition to woodwork and the use of plants, the new design is marked by its moderate height, which is a little more than 49 meters (around 161 feet), or five meters (16.4 feet) lower than Ito’s design.

One of the major criticisms of the earlier, spectacular design by Hadid, an AngloIraqi architect, was its mammoth size, as it seemed too aggressive for a residential zone surrounded by parks and an important temple.

Ito, winner of the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize, designed a complex resembling a porcelain basin, held by large wooden columns and a blue and white roof outside.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the winning design was a “wonderful plan” and he hoped the new stadium left a legacy for future generations.