Back in May 2013, Azusa was selected as a contractor for the initial design of the New National Stadium proposed by the architect Zaha Hadid, the winner of an international competition. In the following two years, we worked extremely hard creating more than 4,000 drawings before July 17, 2015, a date we are not likely forget any time soon, when the design plan for the new stadium was scrapped. I was devastated and completely exhausted, unable to do anything for a while. Some time later, when I happened to visit the Meiji Shrine, I noticed two large enshrined trees for the first time in many visits. Struck with sudden inspiration, I wondered if the stadium could be designed like a great tree steeped in greenery, if we were to get another chance to participate in the design. Overwhelmed by the power of life I felt in these trees, I wished to design a stadium like "a great living tree rooted in the earth". When we were offered the chance to make another design proposal, we shared this idea with Dr. Kuma and the TAISEI Corporation, and the project started around this basic principle.

We considered various possible designs before reaching the final design, including ideas such as wrapping the entire stadium with greenery or a design with vertically assembled timber, but we always stuck to one basic, fundamental theme - “Stadium in Forest”. We continued refining the design over time to get it right. Using eaves as one of our design concepts, we finished our proposal in about three months. The uppermost part of the stadium was designed to be a “Grove of the Sky”, where people can walk and enjoy 360 panoramic views on everyday occasions. The stadium was designed to blend in with the natural greenery of Meiji Jingu Gaien, aiming for a lasting popularity with the public.

As the initial design was proposed by Zaha Hadid, we had to work on details, like engineers, while respecting the design. In this proposal, on the other hand, we were able to start from scratch. We were getting closer and closer to the concept over the course of many discussions with Dr. Kuma and through the creation of study models and image perspectives before finally, the vision for the “Stadium in Forest” was completed.

We held many workshops with the parties concerned. The aim was to produce a stadium that is easy and comfortable for athletes to use, allowing them to focus on the competition. We listened to opinions from the associations of sports such as soccer, rugby, and track and field, whose athletic events are to be held at the New National Stadium. In addition, we received specific requests related to the doping control room from the Japan Anti-Doping Agency, while hearings were conducted with media outlets to decide on appropriate camera positions and the like. Our design process also engaged the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Many things were new and puzzling at first. Our goal was to design a stadium that can host both soccer, rugby, and track and field events. However, the different sports come with different requirements: for example, the car park and designated entrance is important to soccer players because they arrive to the match venue in team bus, whereas track and field athletes use the supplementary field arena to organize themselves before the competition. To help athletes compete in top condition, the sports associations had high ideals and expectations for the new stadium. We thoroughly discussed matters with each association before reaching an ideal design.

Universal design is not limited to specific parts of the facility but rather applies to the design of the entire facility, both internally and externally, to make it accessible to all people. Furthermore, our aim was to achieve the world’s highest standard of security and comfortability. To this end, we held a total of 20 workshops in the design and construction phases, inviting numerous organizations of, for example, elderly people, the child-raising generation, and people with disabilities of various types. We prepared detailed drawings and images of key facilities such as elevators, toilets, and stadium seats, and presented them at the workshops to see if they could truly be considered accessible. We used the opinions that were heard to meticulously refine our design. We are maintaining continuous communication with these organizations during the construction phase as well. When opinions differed on the best solution, we would talk it over to get closer to the ideal. It was tough work but also very fulfilling.

Seats are arranged to provide spectators with an unobstructed view of the sporting event, whether it be track and field, soccer, or rugby. We performed computer simulations during the design phase and made full-size mockups on site. We verified the safety and visibility for spectators by using these full-size mockups of spectator entrances, seats, and handrails. The conceptual theme for the seat colors was decided as “sunlight filtered through trees”, so we made full-size mockups of different colors in order to make the selection. In the end, 5 colors were selected for the seats, which are to be arranged like a mosaic artwork to create an elegant Japanese design. We adopted a mosaic pattern to give the impression of a stadium full of spectators even when no one is there.

The stadium will have a capacity of 60,000 seats when completed, which is expandable to 80,000 in the future. The scale of this stadium is unprecedented in Japan. How to ensure the safety and security of such a large stadium was a key issue in the disaster prevention plan. We discussed with academic experts to figure out how to ensure the safe escape of 80,000 spectators in an emergency situation, and how to secure traffic lines in order to facilitate this, as well as matters concerning the width of corridors and pathways, and how to construct the staircases. Moreover, because the stadium aims to achieve the world’s highest standard of universal design, special care must be taken for people in wheelchairs and other people with difficulty walking. I am extremely pleased to have taken part in such unique and unprecedented work.

One of the good things about working in this team was that we were able to create an environment where it was easy to talk to one another. A large table was placed behind our desks, where we would immediately gather and discuss whenever we had to confirm or decide on something. If someone among us was facing a designing problem, we all worked together to provide ideas and help each other, rather than leaving everyone to solve their problems on their own. As a team we proactively strived to further improve our work whenever we were faced with a problem. Although it was a process of trial and error because everything was new to us, we all refused to give in. We were highly motivated and got the design done.

To put in simple terms, this was a project to build Japan’s largest stadium (in floor area) right at the heart of metropolitan Tokyo. The foundation of the project was to build the safest possible stadium, while also striving to achieve accessibility and comfort. We worked sincerely to find solutions building on the assumption that the stadium would be visited by as many as 80,000 people.

Our mission is to get everything done by the completion of construction, while staying motivated to “do things better”.

It is a great joy to work on something no one has ever done before. In my case in particular, because sports facilities are a part of my specialty, I am really enjoying working on the design of the main stadium, the pinnacle of such facilities.

We experienced having our design scrapped and later got the chance to make another design proposal, which helped convince us that we knew the project site and necessary characteristics of the stadium more than anyone else. We developed a strong sense of responsibility and confidence. Even so, since we had to complete the design of the best possible stadium in a very short time, we also experienced a lot of stress. But we were motivated by our thorough knowledge and confidence. I believe that was the spirit shared by all of us.

Azusa Sekkei is a truly frank and open workplace. We all share a strong desire to support each other in realizing what we want to achieve. Senior staff members listen to the opinions younger staff, and the President and Executive Vice Presidents are approachable and available to speak to directly. This good rapport helps motivate us to create new ideas and make them real. Working at Azusa I feel like I can try new and exciting things.

Supervision work involves ensuring the safety and quality of the building and its mechanisms in conformity with design documents that describe the details of the design necessary for construction. Our work began with thoroughly listening to our designers and conceptual designers about matters that cannot be ascertained from drawings alone.

Design documents provide detailed instructions for quality control, such as which materials should be used, and how various parts etc. should be produced. There are detailed procedures for each work item; for example, coating work requires following multiple steps from surface preparation to intermediate coating and final coating etc. Securing the level of quality means making sure that the constructor is carrying out their work according to the correct procedures for items such as the amount of paint to be used and the thickness of painting among many other things.

For structural design in particular, quality control is an absolute necessity as it directly impacts the safety of structures. We can never allow anything that is not detailed in the design documents or anything legally unacceptable. Because I am working full-time on the construction site and see the constructor and construction workers work hard every day, I naturally acquired a sense of comradeship with them. But if work is not carried out in line with the instructions of design documents, I must instruct them to rectify their work. As a supervisor, I must make clear that wrong is wrong. I have always been conscious of this responsibility, and remain determined to carry out my job.

Supervision is to turn drawings into reality, so supervisors must have an in-depth understanding of the design drawings, for which high-level communication with the conceptual designers is of the utmost importance. We looked at the design perspectives and CG images to make sure we all shared the same vision.

When you are designing large buildings, you tend to pay less attention to the smaller details. But the way to produce good results is to steadily repeat the same procedures on any structure, regardless of size. Especially as the New National Stadium is becoming more and more complex, we must carefully consider how to turn our plans into reality on site. We feel the tension every day working to figure out how to verify the construction status during the ongoing process of turning design documents into reality while also ensuring the quality.

The New National Stadium features a variety of unique facilities and equipment, ranging from the stadium lights and sound systems to timing and scoring systems for track and field, and large screens. To facilitate smooth competition events, I have been steadily working to check that each of the facilities and system live up to the requirements set out in design documents and other various standards, and that electrical equipment meets legal requirements.

Because of its size, the stadium needs an enormous number of mechanical systems. Moreover, with most other buildings, construction drawings are the most numerous while the number of drawings for electrical and mechanical systems is only about one third of that amount. However, because the scale of the stadium is so big, we end up with a large volume of electrical and mechanical system drawings as well. As construction supervision includes managing and verifying all of these drawings, it is quite demanding work.

Azusa’s supervisory team is formed chiefly by professionals with a background in design, and who are well versed in construction design. As such, our supervisors work to accurately interpret the intentions of the designers, and seek to faithfully reflect them in the structure. They are not swayed by opinions on the construction site biased in favor of giving priority to simpler or less costly work methods. Azusa’s structural designers are all seasoned professionals with experience from designing the structures of various buildings representative of Azusa Sekkei’s work. So, as supervisors, they have strong preferences in terms of structures (unseen parts) and never compromise on quality and safety. I strive to model myself after them and their approach to work.

I believe that, once completed, the stadium will leave an impression on people, who for example may react by calling it “awesome” or “beautiful”. These reactions will be achievable due to the hard work we have put into the unseen components of the stadium. The key is to prevent any malfunctions or problems from happening. If any problems were to occur, people would immediately wonder what is going on inside the stadium.

The same goes for the facilities and equipment. To keep visible components such as lighting systems and air-conditioners running properly, the unseen components that make up these systems such as piping and wiring must be well organized. Most visitors feel safe when the stadium is in normal operation – that is, when no problems occur. The safety of visitors naturally depends on no problems occurring during operation and as such, we are all bearing the responsibility of conducting our work thoroughly without neglecting the finer details.