No decision yet on Japan stadium, but
original design in lead
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[June 24, 2015]
By Elaine Lies
TOKYO (Reuters) - No final decision has
been made on Japan's new National Stadium, the centrepiece for the 2020
Summer Olympics, but with an alternate plan judged "unrealistic" there
are still no reasons to abandon the original design, an official said on
Wednesday.
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Construction of the new National Stadium has run into numerous
problems, including sky rocketing costs and demolition delays that
have prompted speculation it might not be finished in time, as well
as feuding over who will pay what for it.
Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura, who also holds the sports
portfolio, hinted earlier this week that he might "consider" an
alternative design to the one by architect Zaha Hadid, which has
been criticized for its high cost and an ultra-modern design
unsuited to the area around it.
The new proposal, by a group headed by Pritzger Prize-winning
Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, recommended a simple,
doughnut-shaped stadium without a roof to replace Hadid's futuristic
design with two huge main arches, which resembles a space ship or,
critics say, a bicycle helmet.
But Japanese media reports on Wednesday said a decision had been
made to go with Hadid's design, albeit slightly modified -- and that
the cost would surge to 250 billion yen ($2 billion), nearly twice
the cost cited when it was chosen in an international contest as
part of Tokyo's Olympic bid.
An official at Japan's Education Ministry said that a final decision
had yet to be made, although he had heard that one was likely by the
start of July.
"We'd heard about the other proposal, but it's not realistic and we
think it would be hard to do," the official said.
"Unless it's a proposal we can really get behind, cancelling Zaha's
design for another one is not something we can do."
He added that the cost as well remained "under consideration."
Hadid's original design was already modified once last year to cut
costs, and an official at the Japan Sport Council, which runs the
stadium, said they were still working towards this design, although
a final decision by the Education Ministry could change things.
"The design has been modified slightly from the very first plan, but
we are still working with the concept of the original design," the
official said.
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Though the Olympics are not until July 2020, the stadium is also set
to be used for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which begins almost a year
earlier. Hadid designed the aquatics center for the London 2012
Summer Olympics.
The soaring costs have prompted several downsizing proposals,
including postponing the installation of a retractable roof until
after the Games and making a number of stadium seats temporary,
which media reports suggest are both gaining strength.
In May, Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe lashed out at being asked to
foot $400 million of the stadium cost without further details of
plans and how the money will be spent, calling the expense
"ridiculous."
The Games were won under his predecessor, who was forced to quit due
to a bribery scandal.
Masuzoe and Shimomura have remained at odds over the issue and
officials in the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee took veiled swipes
at Masuzoe several weeks ago, noting that Tokyo had pushed for
bidding for the Olympics and Masuzoe knew this when he was running
for election.
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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