flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Tokyo Olympic Stadium saga ends for Zaha Hadid

Sports and Recreational Facilities

Tokyo Olympic Stadium saga ends for Zaha Hadid

After resubmitting a bid, the firm will not design the main venue for the 2020 Olympics after all.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | September 21, 2015
Tokyo Olympic Stadium saga ends for Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid's original concept for Tokyo's Olympic Stadium. Rendering courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects will not compete to provide an alternative main stadium design for the 2020 Olympics, according to Construction Drive. The firm was unable to find a construction company to work with on the project.

Zaha Hadid designed the original Olympic Stadium concept in 2012. The 3.1 million-sf stadium drew attention for its futuristic design. It was set to hold track-and-field events and the opening and closing ceremonies.

After rising costs (from $1.3 billion to around $2 billion), construction delays, design issues, and other complaints from figures in the architectural world, Japan announced in July 2015 that the nation would drop Zaha Hadid and consider new proposals for a stadium.

Even after that, the firm introduced a new bid that it called “the most cost-effective delivery plan,” according to the AP. Zaha Hadid partnered with engineering company Nikken Sekkei for a new design, but couldn’t find a new contractor.

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Oct 22, 2021

2021 Sports Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. sports and recreation facility sector

AECOM, Populous, Kimley-Horn, and HOK top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest sports and recreation facility sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.

Arenas | Sep 20, 2021

LA Clippers unveil $1.8 billion Intuit Dome

AECOM is the lead designer for the project.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 15, 2021

Aston Martin breaks ground on new F1 headquarters

The project is located in Northamptonshire.

Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021

2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.

The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Aug 25, 2021

The rise of entertainment districts and the inside-out stadium

Fiserv Forum, home to the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks, proved that the design of the space outside a stadium is just as important as inside.

Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021

White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners

A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Aug 18, 2021

Populous’ design takes center stage for MLB’s Field of Dreams game

The movie-inspired ballpark is located in Dyersville, Iowa.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Aug 5, 2021

Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium completes

Gensler designed the project.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category


Mixed-Use

A surging master-planned community in Utah gets its own entertainment district

Since its construction began two decades ago, Daybreak, the 4,100-acre master-planned community in South Jordan, Utah, has been a catalyst and model for regional growth. The latest addition is a 200-acre mixed-use entertainment district that will serve as a walkable and bikeable neighborhood within the community, anchored by a minor-league baseball park and a cinema/entertainment complex.


Cultural Facilities

Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center

When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021