Japan has officially completed construction on Tokyo Olympic Stadium, the $1.43 million facility that will serve as the country's new national stadium and the home of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2020 Olympic Games.
The stadium will not be open to the public until December 21 but it was officially unveiled on Sunday to provide a first look. The host stadium was designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma and will hold a capacity of 68,000 spectators.
Here's a glimpse:
Tokyo Olympic stadium completed. $1.43 billion. 68,000 capacity for games. Architect Kengo Kuma. Spectacular the way use of wood and greenery and open space ties it to traditional Japanese building traditions. pic.twitter.com/LwRDISKu7q
— Stephen Wade (@StephenWadeAP) December 15, 2019
Tokyo's $1.45 billion 2020 Olympic stadium is complete more than 7 months before hosting opening ceremony on July 24 pic.twitter.com/wxCRLf6RWx
— QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake) December 15, 2019
In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, the stadium will host track and field events as well as some soccer matches.
One of the key features of the stadium is its connection to the local surroundings and emphasis on greenery and parks in Tokyo. There's a lot of wood work around the stadium's rim and roof. The seats feature earth-tone colors and there is plenty of greenery found around the stadium -- including trees, shrubs and flowers.
The construction of the stadium finished on schedule despite some early setbacks, including a scrapping of the initial design after projected costs rose too high.
The Olympics will officially kick off in just over seven months, with the Opening Ceremony taking place on July 24, 2020.
