Architect Zaha Hadid Urges Use Of Initial Plan For 2020 Tokyo Olympic Stadium

The architect of the initial design of the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics said that "her scrapped plan could be modified to lower its cost," according to NHK. London-based Zaha Hadid said in a video released by her office that two to three years "were spent on the design." The video said that "by revising the plan and holding competitive bidding, the stadium could be built less expensively without changing the basic design." It said that "the revision would include no air conditioning for spectator seating as well as slashed capacity." The video said that two rooftop arches in the initial design "do not push up costs, but rather help shorten construction time by allowing the roof and stands to be built at the same time." The giant arches "were criticized as raising the cost due to their high technological demands." Japan "is expected to decide on a new plan as soon as Friday" (NHK, 8/26).