Tokyo down to two finalists for Olympic Stadium design

The Japanese government revealed the two final designs for its Olympic Stadium for the 2020 games in Japan, as the Telegraph reported. The proposals will now be open to comments, and will eventually be up for a jury vote. The winning design will be selected by the end of the year.

The two projects’ designers have been kept anonymous, but they are believed to be Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Toyo Ito, according to Dezeen.

Design A, reportedly from Kengo Kuma, is a 164-foot-tall, ring-shaped stadium that has wood latticework, a flat roof, and columns supporting viewing terraces. Design B, from Toyo Ito, according to Dezeen, is 178 feet tall, oval-shaped, and has exterior glass walls. Design A is estimated to cost $1.25 billion (¥153 billion) and Design B’s price has been pegged slightly above that ($1.26 billion, or ¥153.7 billion). 

Japan cancelled Zaha Hadid’s Olympic Stadium plan in July for numerous reasons, with rising costs as the main issue. The stadium was projected to cost around $2 billion, or 252 billion yen, after revisions and delays in design and construction. 

Though the venue won’t be open for the 2019 Rugby World Cup as originally planned, the new stadium is expected to be completed in time to host the 2020 games. 

Design B, from Toyo Ito