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Zaha Hadid to design Japan National Stadium

News: UK firm Zaha Hadid Architects has been selected to design the new national stadium for Japan.

Japan National Stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects

The new 80,000-seat stadium will replace the existing Kasumigaoka National Stadium in Tokyo and could become the main sporting venue for the 2020 Olympic Games if Japan is successful in its bid to host the event.

Japan National Stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects

The arena is also earmarked to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup and will be offered to FIFA as a possible venue for future World Cup football matches.

Japan National Stadium by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects has seen off ten other finalists to win the competition, which was organised by the Japan Sport Council.

"Our three decades of research into Japanese architecture and urbanism is evident in our winning design and we greatly look forward to building the new National Stadium," said Hadid. "The stadium will become an integral element of Tokyo's urban fabric, directly engaging with the surrounding cityscape to connect and carve the elegant forms of the design. The unique structure is both light and cohesive, defining a silhouette that integrates with the city. The perimeter of the stadium will be an inhabited bridge: a continuous exhibition space that creates an exciting new journey for visitors."

The new building will also feature a retractable roof and is scheduled for completion in 2018.

Also this week, the Zaha Hadid-designed Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum opened to the public at Michigan State University.

See more stories about Zaha Hadid Architects, including the recently completed Galaxy Soho, a 330,000-square-metre retail, office and entertainment complex in Beijing.