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Japan gives up on retractable roof for 2020 Olympic stadium
The Japanese government decided on Tuesday to give up building a retractable roof on a new National Stadium whose plan has been under review due to ballooning construction cost estimates, it has been learned
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he Japanese government decided on Tuesday to give up building a retractable roof on a new National Stadium whose plan has been under review due to ballooning construction cost estimates, it has been learned.
According to sources, the government also decided to abandon a plan to build a library to feature the history of sports, a fitness gym and other commercial facilities. Through these streamlining efforts, the government intends to decrease the total construction costs from the current 252 billion yen (US$2 billion) to the mid 100 billion yen ($809 million) level.
The retractable roof was planned for the new National Stadium ' which will be the main venue of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics ' so that it can hold concerts and other events regardless of the weather conditions, and achieve stable profits after the Games. The roof was to have been built five years after the Olympics in the withdrawn previous plan, but the construction costs were expected to be more expensive with such a roof than without one.
According to the sources, the government will likely build a fixed roof over the stands instead.
The withdrawn plan included facilities such as a fitness gym for public use, a sports library and a restaurant, but the gym and other facilities will be cancelled based on a policy of putting priority on athletes.
The new National Stadium was supposed to have a disaster management function as an evacuation site and a place to store supplies in case of a major disaster. Under the new plan, such functions will be still maintained mainly because the government is asking the Tokyo metropolitan government to shoulder the costs of improving areas around the stadium and others.
The stadium capacity will be 80,000, the same as under the withdrawn plan. In an effort to cut the construction period, the idea of introducing temporary stands is also under serious consideration, according to the sources.
The government intends to select a builder and place an order for the construction around January next year to complete the stadium in the spring of 2020. (++++)
