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Japan Scraps Olympic Stadium Plan Over $2 Billion Price Tag Japan Scraps Olympic Stadium Plan Over $2 Billion Price Tag
(about 14 hours later)
TOKYO — Three years after Japanese Olympic organizers selected a vast, sleek stadium design by a prominent Iraqi-British architect for the centerpiece venue of the 2020 Summer Games, the government announced on Friday that it would scrap the plan and start over because of spiraling costs. TOKYO — Three years after Japanese Olympic organizers selected a vast, sleek stadium design by a prominent Iraqi-British architect for the centerpiece venue of the 2020 Summer Games, the government announced on Friday that it would scrap the plan and start over because of spiraling costs.
The decision, announced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, came in response to growing public anger over the stadium’s estimated cost, which has ballooned to more than $2 billion — an amount that would have made it by far the most expensive Olympic stadium, and probably the costliest sports venue, in history. The main stadium for the 2012 Olympics in London cost just one-third as much.The decision, announced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, came in response to growing public anger over the stadium’s estimated cost, which has ballooned to more than $2 billion — an amount that would have made it by far the most expensive Olympic stadium, and probably the costliest sports venue, in history. The main stadium for the 2012 Olympics in London cost just one-third as much.
“The current plan will go back to being a blank sheet of paper, and we will rethink it from scratch,” Mr. Abe said at a news conference.“The current plan will go back to being a blank sheet of paper, and we will rethink it from scratch,” Mr. Abe said at a news conference.
Controversy over the stadium has been building since soon after Tokyo was selected to host the Olympics in 2013. By then the design by Zaha Hadid, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, was already part of the Olympic plan, which emphasized “compactness” and a turn away from the bloated budgets of previous Games. Controversy over the stadium has been building since soon after Tokyo was selected to host the Olympics in 2013. By then, the design by Zaha Hadid, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, was already part of the Olympic plan, which emphasized “compactness” and a turn away from the bloated budgets of previous Games.
Critics quickly began asking whether the stadium plan fit with that theme. The 80,000-seat venue was to have been built on the site of the track-and-field stadium used for the last Tokyo Games, in 1964, and it would have been far larger than its 54,000-seat predecessor. It also would have been bigger than the main stadiums for the last two Summer Games, in London and Beijing. A costly retractable roof was seen by many as an extravagance.Critics quickly began asking whether the stadium plan fit with that theme. The 80,000-seat venue was to have been built on the site of the track-and-field stadium used for the last Tokyo Games, in 1964, and it would have been far larger than its 54,000-seat predecessor. It also would have been bigger than the main stadiums for the last two Summer Games, in London and Beijing. A costly retractable roof was seen by many as an extravagance.
It was unclear on Friday whether Ms. Hadid would have a role in creating a new design. She had already overhauled her proposal once at the behest of Japanese officials, who asked for a smaller and cheaper version a few months after Tokyo’s selection as host city. Yet the official cost estimate has almost doubled since then, to 252 billion yen, or $2.03 billion.It was unclear on Friday whether Ms. Hadid would have a role in creating a new design. She had already overhauled her proposal once at the behest of Japanese officials, who asked for a smaller and cheaper version a few months after Tokyo’s selection as host city. Yet the official cost estimate has almost doubled since then, to 252 billion yen, or $2.03 billion.
Some of the criticism of the design has come from Japanese architects, prompting accusations from Ms. Hadid that nationalistic chauvinism was at work. “They don’t want a foreigner to build in Tokyo for a national stadium,” she told Dezeen, a design magazine, in December. Some criticism of the design has come from Japanese architects, prompting accusations from Ms. Hadid of nationalistic chauvinism. “They don’t want a foreigner to build in Tokyo for a national stadium,” she told Dezeen, a design magazine, in December.
It is hardly unusual for Olympic building projects to exceed their initial cost estimates. But the Tokyo stadium was exceptionally big and expensive to start with, so the increases have lifted its price tag to unprecedented — and, for many Japanese, unacceptable — heights. It is hardly unusual for Olympic building projects to exceed their initial cost estimates. But the Tokyo stadium was exceptionally big and expensive to start with, so the increases have lifted its price tag to, for many Japanese, unacceptable heights.
The governor of Tokyo, Yoichi Masuzoe, who has been fighting with national officials over how to split the Games’ cost, last month accused the central government of misleading the public about preparations for the Olympics in the same way that Japan’s World War II-era leaders suppressed information about the failing war effort.The governor of Tokyo, Yoichi Masuzoe, who has been fighting with national officials over how to split the Games’ cost, last month accused the central government of misleading the public about preparations for the Olympics in the same way that Japan’s World War II-era leaders suppressed information about the failing war effort.
“It’s just like in Imperial Japan,” he said. “No one will take responsibility.”“It’s just like in Imperial Japan,” he said. “No one will take responsibility.”
Japanese officials who were involved in the selection have competed to distance themselves from the plan in recent days. Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister who heads the Olympic organizing committee, said on Friday that the design reminded him of “a raw oyster.” Japanese officials who were involved in the selection have distanced themselves from the plan. Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister who heads the Olympic organizing committee, said on Friday that the design reminded him of “a raw oyster.”
“I always disliked that stadium,” he said during the taping of a program on the network TV Asahi.“I always disliked that stadium,” he said during the taping of a program on the network TV Asahi.
Tadao Ando, the Pritzker-winning Japanese architect who headed the selection committee in 2012, said on Thursday that he was “surprised” at the latest cost estimates. “We were only asked to select a design,” he said at a news conference. “I’d like to know myself why it’s now up to ¥250 billion.”Tadao Ando, the Pritzker-winning Japanese architect who headed the selection committee in 2012, said on Thursday that he was “surprised” at the latest cost estimates. “We were only asked to select a design,” he said at a news conference. “I’d like to know myself why it’s now up to ¥250 billion.”
Ms. Hadid’s firm said in a statement on Friday that the cost increases were not due to her design, “which uses standard materials and techniques well within the capability of Japanese contractors and meets the budget set by the Japan Sports Council.” Ms. Hadid’s firm said in a statement on Friday that the cost increases did not result from her design, “which uses standard materials and techniques well within the capability of Japanese contractors and meets the budget set by the Japan Sports Council.”
It added, “The real challenge for the stadium has been agreeing an acceptable construction cost against the backdrop of steep annual increases in construction costs in Tokyo and a fixed deadline.”It added, “The real challenge for the stadium has been agreeing an acceptable construction cost against the backdrop of steep annual increases in construction costs in Tokyo and a fixed deadline.”
Olympic officials say rising costs for labor and materials are responsible for about a third of the increase in the estimated cost — issues that would affect a new design as well. But they attribute more than $600 million of the increase to the design itself, specifically its use of two massive, curved support arches that run the length of the building, which they say would be more complex and expensive to build than they initially realized. Olympic officials say rising costs for labor and materials are responsible for about a third of the increase in the estimated cost. But they attribute more than $600 million of the increase to the design itself, specifically its use of two massive, curved support arches that run the length of the building.
Construction of the stadium was supposed to have begun next year and been completed by 2019, a timetable that now looks impossible to meet. Officials said they would cancel plans to hold the 2019 Rugby World Cup in the stadium, to allow for more time. Construction of the stadium was supposed to have begun next year and been completed by 2019, a timetable that now looks impossible to meet.