The Case For Scaling Down An Olympics

http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/07/eve-the-ioc-wants-tokyo-to-scale-back-plans-for-2020/374127

Tokyo National Stadium (1964)
Mitsuo Katayama
dailymail.co.uk

Hello Everyone:

The Summer Olympics are returning to Tokyo, Japan in 2020.  This is great news for the Land of the Rising Sun but not so great news for The Tokyo National Stadium, built for the 1964 Summer Olympics, which faces the grim prospect of demolition.  In a recent article for City Lab, "Even the IOC Wants Tokyo to Scale Down Plans for 2020, Mark Byrnes reports that despite efforts to save the fifty-six year old stadium, the wrecking ball will still keeps its appointment. Further, escalating building costs are forcing organizers to scale back on building new venues.

Proposed Tokyo National Stadium
Zaha Hadid
dezeen.com

 In 2012, London-based architect Zaha Hadid won the    commission to build the proposed 80,000-seat stadium  with a retractable roof.  As of the previous autumn,  cost estimates for the project have inflated to almost $3  billion.  The new stadium was originally planned as a 3.1 million-square, twice the size of the original  stadium.  This new structure would be so big that it would eliminate some neighboring buildings and green council.  The Japan Sport Council already announced that it would find a way to trim the current cost estimates to $1.7 billion.  Ms. Hadid's firm also announced that it has indeed been modifying its proposal, although the changes have not been made public yet.  Speaking in the most vague terms that seem to imply that a scaled-down version was in the works.  A spokesperson from the firm reported, "...[they will] optimize the investment and make the stadium even more efficient, user-focused, adaptable, and sustainable."

Aerial view of the current Tokyo National Stadium
ajw.asahi.com

In June of this year, Japan reported that it was taking a second look for its plans for the ten new event venues it wants to construct by 2020.  The spiraling upward  building and labor costs are the result of an expanding economy, a jump in the consumption-tax, and post-tsunami rebuilding efforts.  According to local media outlets, a new venue for the kayak and canoe events received bids for fifteen time higher than expected, owing mainly to infrastructure work that was not previously taken into account.  Even the demolition work on the National Stadium was postponed because initial bids came in too high.

Despite the outcries from citizen and prestigious architects, fifty-six year-old stadium is still poised for demolition.  Once the wrecking ball starts its dance, it will take fourteen mont for the stadium to come down.  Protestors waving sign with slogans such a "We want a compact and economical Olympics" marched around the site.  Some of the demonstrators stated that they could accept a less expensive new stadium.  However, many believe that only thing required is renovation work.

All the criticisms of the new venues have thoroughly irritated journalist Jack Gallagher.  Writing in The Japan Times, August 19, 2014, Mr. Gallagher states, "The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are almost six year away but in many ways the games have already begun" (http://www.japantimes.co.jp Aug 19, 2014)  Mr. Gallagher states, "It seems as if in Japan a deal is only a deal until somebody becomes dissatisfied with it,..." (Ibid)  Mr. Gallagher sees all this complaining as counter productive and damaging in the long run.  It is not just about the money, it has to do with being true to your word. While it may be common practice in Japan for contracts to be broken or altered , the 2020 Summer Olympics are an international matter.  The International Olympic Committee still has not forgotten what happened in 1991 when the Nagano Winter Olympic Organizing Committee essentially promised round trip air fare and accommodations for every coach and athlete.  Needless to say, Nagano beat out Salt Lake City, Utah for the 1998 Winter Olympics.

Yoyogi Complex (1964)
Kenzo Tange
                  columbia.edu                    

The wheeling and dealing during the 1991 site selection meeting in Birmingham, England was the product of the economic bubble during the nineties.  Now it seems, as Mr. Gallagher reports, this unseemly way of doing business may be repeating itself.  This way of conducting business: making outlandish promises, breaking or altering contracts at will is just not the way business is conducted in the international arena.  It is improper and unethical.  This brings us to all the chatter about "legacy venues" (Ibid), something that doesn't sit too well with Jack Gallagher either. He sees the upcoming Olympics as a chance for much needed new state-of-the-art facilities.  Yet, the organizing committee is caught between domestic dissenters who want a more economical and compact games and promises made to the international sporting community. (Ibid)

Tokyo 2020
chinadaily.com

Sadly, Japan does not have a great track record when it comes to historic preservation.  The Tokyo National Stadium is considered a symbol of Japan's revival following World War II and is one of the reasons why so many people are demonstrating against its imminent destruction.  The proposed design of the new stadium, which resembles a bicycle helmet, won over the design competition jury and help tilt the vote toward Tokyo. The cost of the new construction is another reason for the immense dissatisfaction.  While the design may be daring, the cost for the avant garde looking build is stratospheric. This is coupled with concerns that the project will divert labor and material away still needed to rehabilitate Tohoku from the triple disasters that befell it in 2011. Then there is the maintenance issue related to the proposed 80,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof.  I should add that the former is not a requirement of IOC.  The question is what will become of the stadium once the cheering stops?  It is estimated that the proposed stadium will require $35 million in yearly maintenance and operation costs. (http:archrecord.construction.com/.../140707-in-Tokyo-Protestors-Dont-Want-1...)

The International Olympic Committe "...clearly stipulated that most countries try to use existing facilities where possible yet they are not abiding by this."  Olympics are excellent opportunities for the host countries to cast themselves in a positive light on the global stage.  Japan has certainly been a great contributor to global history and culture.  However, by rehabilitating and reusing existing sites, especially those connected with the 1964 Olympics, Japan can speak volumes about its committment to global preservation.