Hadid, an award-winning Iraqi architect based in London, won the commission through an international competition organized by the Japan Sports Council, chaired by another famous architect, Japan’s Tadao Ando. In a last ditch effort on Thursday, Ando tried to defend the design, saying that changing architects this late in the game was not an option. He also admitted that the selection committee focused on the aesthetics and not the budget parameters.

A representative from Hadid’s office said that the design, with sweeping 70-meter arches and a retractable roof, was not the problem. He blamed the budget bloat on the high cost of materials and labor in Tokyo exacerbated by the project’s tight deadline. The national stadium was originally planned as the venue for the Rugby World Cup in 2019. ”It is not the case that the recently reported cost increases are due to the design, which uses standard materials and techniques well within the capability of Japanese contractors, and meets the budget set by the Japan Sports Council,” Jim Heverin told the Associated Press.

Former prime minister Yoshiro Mori is the president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.
Former prime minister Yoshiro Mori is the president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.
Image: Reuters/Thomas Peter

Groundbreaking for Hadid’s design was originally scheduled for this October. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga confirmed that Hadid’s contract would be canceled and a new competition would be announced within six months.

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