The 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo, finally has a new National Stadium design after Zaha Hadid's original alien-spaceship plans were scrapped over soaring construction costs and public criticism.
Hadid's futuristic stadium was dumped after its estimated cost ballooned from 130 billion yen ($1.07 billion USD) to almost 252 billion yen ($2.08 billion USD).
The new National Stadium design, unveiled by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is far more modest and will cost about 154 billion yen ($1.26 billion USD), putting the project back in line with the original budget.
Tentatively dubbed "Design A," the National Stadium will be constructed of steel and wood, a design aesthetic that borrows from traditional Japanese temples. It features a latticed roof made of wood for Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the National Stadium will stand at 164 feet tall and is expected to accommodate 68,000 people.
"The ministerial meeting has checked the selection was made in an appropriate manner," Abe said, according to CNN. "This is an excellent plan that satisfies the principle philosophy, construction, deadline and cost of the Olympic plan."
The National Stadium is expected to be completed on Nov. 30, 2019.
Not only did the original original Hadid National Stadium go overbudget, but its design was also heavily criticized. How bad was it? Judge for yourself:
