Zaha Hadid Abandons 2020 Tokyo Olympics Stadium Bid

British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid "abandoned her attempt to re-enter the race to build the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," according to Justin McCurry of the London GUARDIAN. This news came "two months after her initial design was scrapped amid soaring construction costs." Hadid's office said it had been "unable to find a construction company to work with." A Zaha Hadid Architects spokesperson said, "It is disappointing that the two years of work and investment in the existing design for a new national stadium for Japan cannot be further developed to meet the new brief through the new design competition." The firm said that it "teamed up with the Japanese engineering company Nikken Sekkei to submit a fresh bid" earlier this month. The firms said at the time that they would be able to "quickly develop a comprehensive and fully costed design" (GUARDIAN, 9/18).