Design Unveiled for Downsized Tokyo 2020 Stadium

The Japan Sport Council released an updated design proposal for a downsized National Stadium on Wednesday.

According to the proposal, the main stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will have a floor area of 692,000 square feet and a height of 230 feet. The stadium will have 80,000 seats, of which 15,000 can be moved closer to the field during a football or rugby match.

An energy-conserving air conditioning system will keep fans cool at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The system conserves energy by utilizing heat from vaporization and cooling the air with pipes underground, where the temperature is lower.

The new stadium will accommodate up to 400 wheelchairs during the Paralympic Games. Special terminals for announcements will be compiled into an audio system designed for the visually and hearing impaired.

Designers took special disaster management precautions, as well. The structure is earthquake-absorbent, and the layout of the stadium will enable an audience to evacuate within 15 minutes.

Unlike the original designs for the National Stadium, which garnered criticism for being too extravagant, the new designs for the National Stadium take into account the size and environmental concerns. The new designs reflect a 20 percent decrease in floor space and a sixteen-foot reduction in height protects the ginkgo trees surrounding the stadium.

Certain aspects of the stadium, such as aisles, have been scaled down. These changes allowed construction costs, originally at $3.7 billion, to be reduced to $2.6 billion.

Demolition of the standing National Stadium will take place in July. The new National Stadium is set to be completed by March 2019.

Written by Andrew Murrell

Homepage photo: Japan Sport Council

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