Revealed: tokyo’s olympic stadium

All Photos: Zaha Hadid Architects (Design Boom)

The new national stadium of Japan, which will be the venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has been designed by Zaha Hadid.

The architect is no stranger to the sporting tournament: she attracted controversy for her aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympic Games, which cost £269 million and was swiftly adorned with wings for additional seating to meet demand. As the wings are removed to restore her building to its original, curving vision, the presentation of the new Japanese stadium continues her love of undulating lines and soft edges.

Indeed, the stadium looks positively futuristic, in keeping with Tokyo’s personality. The National Olympic Stadium will be a flagship venue in 2020, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and holding 80,000 spectators.

Located near Shinjuku, it also features adjustable seating sections that will move nearer the playing field for football matches and even a retractable roof.

“Our many congratulations to the Tokyo 2020 team, the Japan sport council, everyone in Tokyo and all across Japan,” Zaha told Design Boom. “The public's support has been remarkable and we are very proud to be part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympics games. We have put together an excellent team to deliver a magnificent venue on schedule for the 2019 rugby world cup and Tokyo Olympic Games the following year.”

The unveiling of her winning design follows Japan’s successful bid to host the Olympics in 2020. After seeing off competition from Spain’s Madrid and Turkey’s Istanbul, the Tokyo sporting tournament is expected to boost investment in the country's property market as developers rush to construct a wave of new buildings, including the country's largest accommodation project in decades.