Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium Design Selected

(ATR) Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori says he is confident the new Olympic stadium design chosen Tuesday will be the "perfect setting" for athletes and spectators.

TThe Japan Sport Council, the government body overseeing the project, announced the choice of a design by architect Kengo Kuma to be the centerpiece of the 2020 Games following a review of two stadium proposals at the weekend.

A partnership with construction giant Taisei Corp, the 68,000-seat stadium will cost $1.26 billion, nearly one billion dollars less than the original design scrapped in the summer due to ballooning costs.

"I am delighted that the selected design proposal for the new national stadium reflects the firm request for an early completion date made by chair of the IOC Coordination Commission Mr. John Coates, the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee," Mori said in a statement.

"The stadium incorporates the views of experts in the construction field and we are looking forward very much to using the new stadium as the centerpiece of the Tokyo 2020 Games.

"I amconfident that the stadium will be the perfect setting for both athletes and spectators alike," he added.

The stadium decision comes five months after prime minister Shinzo Abe axed British architect Zaha Hadid’s stadium plan, which was set to become the world’s most expensive stadium with a $2.1 billion price tag.

Abe was present at a meeting of Cabinet ministers Tuesday which approved the stadium design.Kuma's steel and wood design echoes the style of traditional Japanese temples styles.

"This is a wonderful plan which meets the basic vision in the new construction plan and requirements for construction period and the budget," the Japanese PM said on announcing the selection of Kuma’s stadium, according to the Associated Press.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the selection process addressed cost and legacy use issues that triggered concerns around Zaha Hadid’s stadium project.Kuma's proposal edged the alternative plan led by architect Toyo Ito because of environmental issues and the potential to reduce the construction period.

The 2020 Olympic stadium will be built on the site of the 1964 Tokyo Games venue. Construction is set to begin in early 2017 with completion due in November 2019.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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