Japan Scraps 2020 Olympic Stadium Design

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The Japanese government has decided to scrap its controversial design for the stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government would “start over from zero”. BBC reports:

The original design, by British architect Zaha Hadid, had come under criticism as estimated building costs almost doubled, reaching $2bn (£1.3bn) Mr Abe says the new stadium will still be completed in time for the games. However, the delay means that the stadium will no longer be ready in time for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which Japan is also hosting.

World Rugby said it was “extremely disappointed” and was “urgently seeking further detailed clarification”. Japanese officials say the contract with Zaha Hadid’s architecture firm will be cancelled, and a new design chosen within six months. Zaha Hadid Architects said that the stadium the firm had designed could be built cost-effectively.

“It is not the case that the recently reported cost increases are due to the design,” the firm said in a statement. The real challenges were “increases in construction costs in Tokyo and a fixed deadline”, it said, adding that building costs in Tokyo were higher than many other places as the risk of earthquakes meant that strict safety standards were needed.