A consortium of Taisei Corp, Azusa Sekkei and architect Kengo Kuma was selected as a preferred bidder over the competing group consisting of Toyo Ito, Nihon Sekkei, Takenaka, Shimizu and Obayashi to design and build the New National Stadium, planned main venue for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the stadium operator Japan Sports Council announced on December 22. Construction is slated to begin in December 2016 with completion expected in November 2019.

Japanese renowned architect Kengo Kuma’s design incorporates wood/steel hybrid structures. The structure will have two floors underground and five story above ground with total floor area of 194,010m2. The 149 billion yen price tag that Taisei group proposed has been kept below the maximum price set by JSC. Completion is expected in November 2019, two month earlier than the deadline.

At the press conference on the day, Chairman Takashi Yamauchi of Taisei expressed his honor to be part of the national project and his commitment to successful delivery of the Stadium in cooperation with the two other members of the consortium. Mr. Kuma outlined his plan, saying “the design represents Japanese traditional architecture with a motif of Horyuji Buddhism Temple’s pagoda. Integration of the structure and the adjacent woods will show uniqueness of Japan and become a legacy of the big event. ” (2015/12/24)