Tokyo 2020 Gymnastics venue progresses steadily

The Olympics Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo is finally taking shape. The second section of the timber roof was raised on Wednesday November 7, marking the halfway point of the construction of this temporary venue.

“We will be pulling (the roof) up with wires using the hydraulic jacks. One jack can bear around 30 tonnes. This is around 200 tonnes (pointing to segment of the roof). We are raising it five metres per hour”, said Project Director at Shimizu Corporation, Masamichi Nagata.

The roof of the 10,000-seat venue, which will host gymnastics at the Olympics and boccia at the Paralympics, will be raised in 200-tonne sections, with all five scheduled to be in place by May next year.

Tokyo 2020 organisers said construction was right on track. The venue, located in the Ariake district of the Japanese capital will host many other Olympic events. It will be used as an exhibition centre when the Games are over.

Construction is due to be completed by the end of October 2019, which is in time for test events ahead of the summer showpiece. The temporary structure is designed to be dismantled by 2030.

To make it easier for the materials to be recycled and to showcase Japan’s timber industry, the roof, which spans 90 metres, is made from local larch.

Reuters