Cedar panels clad the eaves of the 68,000-seat Japan National Stadium, which Japanese studio Kengo Kuma and Associates designed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The structure in Tokyo's Meiji-Jingu Park by Kengo Kuma and Associates with Taisei Corporation and Azusa Sekkei Co hosted the games' opening ceremony last week and is set to host the track and field athletics events at both the Olympics and Paralympics.
Above: Japan National Stadium is located in Tokyo. Top image: it is surrounded by wooden eaves
Completed in 2019, ahead of the coronavirus-postponed games, the stadium takes the form of a large oval.
Its main structure is made from reinforced concrete and steel, sheltered by a roof structure made of steel with laminated larch and cedar trusses. The eaves nod to traditional Japanese architecture
The roof is punctured with a huge oculus above the track but cantilevered to shelter three tiers of spectators seats.
Behind the seating are the circulation areas, which wrap the edges of each level and contain 47,000 plants. This greenery is visible externally and was designed to help the stadium blend in with the surrounding green environment.
The eaves are positioned below the tree-lined circulation spaces
To reduce the visual impact on the site, the stadium height was minimised by combining a flat roof and a compact arrangement of seats.
Externally, the structure is distinguished by a series of eaves that are clad in cedar collected from each of Japan's 47 prefectures.
Seat...