Best Spots to See the New National Stadium by Kengo Kuma
The year 2020 will be the second time that Tokyo was been selected to host the Summer Olympics in its history. And so preparations have been on-going for several years now. Tokyo is said to be under-going a once-in-a-century transformation for this upcoming Olympics. Even today a lot of construction works are being done in major train station, roads and infrastructures. One of the most exciting works that are almost complete is the New National Stadium for the Olympics.
The design of the building was initially proposed by the late Zaha Hadid, but due to its high construction cost and inability to blend with the Japanese culture the design proposal was cancelled. Now the building is being designed by famous Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. He is well-known in the architectural world as an architect who utilizes traditional Japanese techniques in modern ways.
Because the stadium is not yet complete it is impossible to go inside. You can walk near the construction site but because it is fenced, there is no vantage point to see or take a picture of the stadium. Below are some secret view points to see or take pictures of the stadium while it is built.
From up and afar
Located at a distance from the actual stadium is this spot. The foreground is covered by a park and beyond the park the skyline of Tokyo with the stadium. As the stadium is not fully operational, the lights are not lit during the night. Hence, it is not recommended to take a picture of the stadium at night. At least, not until the stadium is operational.
Juxtaposing the Tokyo Tower and the New National Stadium along with the cityscape of Tokyo, gives the building and the picture a context. You will need a telephoto lens to cover the distance between this location and the stadium. We recommend going to this spot during the day or during sunset like above pictures.
view reference spot images from Instagram
From this spot, the Tokyo Tower is visible as well as the New National Stadium for the 2020 Olympics. Having two iconic buildings in one frame.
If you have a zoom lens, preferably a 70-200mm, you can take pictures of the details the new Olympics stadium’s architecture has to offer.
On a clear day, you can see the Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Skytree from this location. This location is not only good to take a picture of the stadium but is also a good spot for cityscape pictures. Not to mention it is a romantic space with rooftop greenery and place to sit.
From up-close and tight
This location is located inside a restaurant. The restaurant itself is somewhat expensive but if you really want to take a picture of the New National Stadium or if you want to study the structure of the building, this spot is the perfect location for that. Because you will be taking a picture through a glass window, make sure you sit somewhere where the reflection is minimum. Another way to avoid the reflection is to visit this place during a cloudy day.
view reference spot images from Instagram
The New National Stadium was designed to be architecturally significance but at the same time be economically feasible. Kengo Kuma has done a marvelous job at it’s design.
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