The Musashino Forest Sports Plaza in Tokyo, Japan, has been opened to the public, marking the first of eight new permanent sports venues to be built for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Organizers and Tokyo’s Governor Yuriko Koike described the event as a watershed moment as preparations for the sporting event begin to transition from planning phase to delivery phase, with just three years to go.
The state-of-the-art complex features a 10,000-seat main arena set to host the badminton and fencing component of the modern pentathlon, plus wheelchair basketball for the Paralympic Games. A swimming pool, gym, fitness studios and multi-use sports area is also housed under the solar-paneled roof, which helps power the building.
The design of the venue has been specially created to meet Tokyo 2020 accessibility guidelines, which make it easier for the elderly and the disabled to use the facility, particularly those with wheelchairs as a result of seating areas in the main arena that will ensure unobstructed viewing.
When the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games begins, the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza will be one of a total 40 venues, which include 24 existing sites, eight temporary facilities and eight permanent new venues.
November 29, 2017
Written by James Billington
