New Olympic & Paralympic venue showcases traditional Japanese craftsmanship
Tokyo, 29 October 2019 – The Ariake Gymnastics Centre, due to be used as a venue during the Olympic
and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, was officially completed. Located close to the Olympic Village, the
new venue can seat up to approximately 12,000 spectators and will host Olympic artistic, rhythmic and
trampoline gymnastic events, as well as Paralympic boccia. Its on-time completion is further evidence that
preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Games are well on track.
The area around the new venue was previously used primarily for timber storage. This inspired its design
and construction around the concept of "wooden vessels in the bay" and the widespread utilisation of
timber in its roof frames, main auditorium and exterior.
This unique venue is intended to showcase traditional Japanese craftsmanship, with its structure
embodying key aspects of Japan’s culture of timber-based construction. A prominent feature is the use of
Japanese cedar to create the exterior shape of a wooden vessels with an external concourse similar to an
engawa, a Japanese-style veranda. The installation of huge 90 metre wooden roof beams – free of steel
framework – has allowed the creation of a large open space without pillars in the centre of the venue, a
feature which will benefit athletes and spectators alike.
Construction of the Ariake Gymnastics Centre has involved the most intensive usage of timber of any of
the Tokyo 2020 venues, featuring one of the largest timber roofs in the world and specially crafted wooden
benches for spectators. Larch wood from Nagano and Hokkaido prefectures was used to create the 30
metre-wide timber roof. Cedar from Mie prefecture was used to craft the spectator benches, with cedar
from Shizuoka, Miyazaki and Akita prefectures being deployed to create the large eaves.
The Tokyo 2020 Games will use a total of 43 venues – 8 new permanent venues, 25 existing sites and 10
temporary venues. Five new permanent Tokyo 2020 venues have already been completed and
construction of the three remaining venues is progressing according to schedule.
New Permanent Venues/Organisation Responsible/ScheduledCompletion/% Completion
Olympic Stadium/Japan Sport Council/Nov 2019/99%
Ariake Arena/Tokyo Metropolitan Government/Dec 2019/97 %
Tokyo Aquatics Centre/Tokyo Metropolitan Government/Feb 2020/86 %
Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Últimas Noticias
Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore
Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation chief of sport development Luke Bodensteiner says there is a “real urgency to make this happen in 2030”. He discusses the mission of the non-profit organization, the legacy from the 2002 Winter Games and future ambitions.
IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing
Thomas Bach, in an open letter on Friday, also thanked stakeholders for their “unprecedented” efforts to make Tokyo 2020 a success despite the pandemic.
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
The IOC says issues concerning governance, finance, and refereeing and judging must be sorted out to its satisfaction. AIBA says it’s confident that will happen and the federation will be reinstated.
IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power
Thomas Bach says the Afghanistan NOC remains under IOC recognition, noting that the current leadership was democratically elected in 2019. But he says the IOC will be monitoring what happens in the future. The story had been revealed on August 31 in an article by Miguel Hernandez in Around the Rings
North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022
Playbooks for Beijing 2022 will ”most likely” be released in October, according to IOC President Thomas Bach.
