Several months since Zaha Hadid's $2 billion plans for Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Stadium were officially scrapped, a new design for the large sporting facility has been selected from two contenders. Of the two plans submitted by Toyo Ito and Kengo Kuma, the latter was selected to replace the cancelled design for what would have been the most expensive stadium ever constructed.

Zaha Hadid's original design for the stadium, image courtesy of Zaha Hadid

Kuma's winning design follows an elemental theme, utilizing a partial-timber frame that includes a wooden lattice roof and a sunken playing surface that would shave 20 metres off of the height of the previous design. The structure's impact on its surroundings will be lessened by the inclusion of greenery, which aims to help incorporate the large building into its surroundings.

Winning Kengo Kuma design for the stadium, image via Kengo Kuma

The 80,000-seat stadium will cost approximately $1.2 billion, over $700 million less than the original $2 billion cost of the Zaha Hadid-designed structure selected via design competition in 2012. If built as proposed, construction of the stadium will be complete by November 2019, several months ahead of the 2020 Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

Winning Kengo Kuma design for the stadium, image via Kengo Kuma

The restrained aesthetic of the design is more of a reflection of the project's concerns and constraints than a representation of Kengo Kuma's portfolio. The Japanese architect is making an impact in North America with architecturally unique offerings, such as 1550 Alberni Street, planned for Vancouver, and Dallas' future Rolex Building.

Rendering of 1550 Alberni in Vancouver, image via Kengo Kuma

While both of these designs promise very distinct forms, Kuma's Olympic Stadium design seems to adhere to a much stricter set of principals.

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