Olympic architect in talks over payment dispute
>> TOKYO: Japan confirmed yesterday that they are in talks with the architect of the rejected 2020 Olympic stadium design, after her firm reportedly refused to hand over the copyright in return for payment.
Tokyo last month chose a new, slimmed down plan for the centrepiece stadium after an earlier version designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid set off a row over its eyewatering US$2 billion price tag that would have made it the world’s most expensive sports venue.
But Hadid immediately lashed out at the new stadium, claiming “remarkable similarities” between her original design and the new one by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
“We are in talks with Zaha Hadid Architects over rewards for business generated until the termination of the contract,” Noriko Tada, spokeswoman for the Japan Sport Council (JSC), which is overseeing the project, told AFP.
She declined to comment on details of t he discussions, citing confidentiality.
Hadid’s firm received and rejected a request by the JSC to give up all copyrights regarding the Olympic stadium in return for payment for her design work, Jiji Press reported on Thursday.
The JSC also demanded that the firm not comment further on the stadium if it received the payment, a request it also rejected, Jiji said.
The London-based firm has demanded the JSC start negotiations over copyright issues, claiming there are “significant similarities” between the structure and layout of her original design and the new one by a joint venture led by Kuma, according to Jiji.
Tokyo’s preparations for the global games suffered a humiliating setback last year when the government pulled the plug on Hadid’s stadium plan following spiralling costs and complaints over the design.
At a press conference Friday, Kuma shrugged off allegations his design was too close to Hadid’s original, describing it as “completely different”.
“There are similarities for example in the number of seats in a row, the angles and so on, but these are automatically generated by the conditions,” he said.
“However in the design, I would like to say that there is no similarity,” said Kuma.