Zaha Hadid Architects, the company whose stadium design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was chosen and later scrapped, said that "it is teaming up with major Japanese design and engineering company Nikken Sekkei in a bid to regain the project," according to Elaine Kurtenbach of the AP. Japan PM Shinzo Abe announced in July that "the design by star Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid had been dropped as too costly, seeking to quiet an outcry over the futuristic, huge stadium blueprint." The government "has begun accepting new bids for the national stadium project," with a cost ceiling of 155B yen ($1.3B). Hadid's earlier project "had been estimated to cost" more than 250B yen ($2B). The two companies said Monday they would offer "the most cost-effective delivery plan" to ensure the stadium is ready in time for the 2020 Olympics. Zaha Hadid Architects and Nikken Sekkei "must still find a contractor able to commit to the lower cost and time constraints of the new specifications." Nikken Sekkei said it has worked with Hadid on the project since May '13 and is "technically ready" to begin construction (AP, 9/7). In London, Justin McCurry wrote the number of seats has been reduced from 72,000 to 68,000, with another 12,000 to be added later to meet the 80,000 minimum required "should Japan later decide to bid for the football World Cup." Hadid said, "Building on the two years of work and knowledge in which the Japanese people have invested, Zaha Hadid Architects and Nikken Sekkei are able to quickly develop a comprehensive and fully costed design. ... Our team in Japan and the U.K. have worked closely with Nikken Sekkei to develop a design for the new national stadium for Japan that meets the government’s core principles." With construction now not due to start until late '16 or early the following year, World Rugby "demanded that the tournament’s organisers offer assurances by the end of this month over alternative venues and the event’s finances." Hadid, who insists there was "nothing technically wrong" with her initial blueprint, said her joint project with Nikken Sekkei would be ready "in good time" for the Games. Her office recently said that "the tweaked stadium would also be ready for the Rugby World Cup" (GUARDIAN, 9/7).
