BIM Architecture Showcase: Ariake Gymnastics Arena for Tokyo Olympics by Nikken Design & Shimizu Corporation

Located in Tokyo Bay, the Ariake Gymnastics Arena served as a key competition venue during the Tokyo Olympics. It hosted both Olympic gymnastics and Paralympic hard roll events. Following the Games, the temporary spectator stands were dismantled, transforming the arena into a permanent exhibition hall.

The arena’s most distinctive feature is its extensive use of wood. Inspired by the concept of a “Harbor Wooden Boat,” wood was incorporated throughout the design—from the large-span arched wooden roof and expansive outdoor facades to the removable wooden seating inside the venue. This approach aligns with the Tokyo 2020 sustainability goals, such as facility lignification, while honoring the site’s history as a former timber storage area.

The museum’s ceiling features an exposed wooden frame structure that reduces weight, while the audience gathering spaces are intentionally located outdoors in wide corridors supported by inverted V-shaped columns surrounding the arena. The wooden facade also provides sound and thermal insulation. The design is compact and well-integrated, seamlessly combining functionality, structure, and spatial aesthetics. It showcases the simple beauty of traditional Japanese wooden architecture, aiming to leave a lasting impression on athletes and visitors worldwide.

The large semi-outdoor public space in the Tokyo Bay area faces a canal and offers expansive landscape views. However, recent development of mid- to high-rise residential buildings nearby posed a design challenge. To emphasize the arena’s horizontal extension, the building height was kept low, reducing overall mass and eave height. Additionally, the audience gathering hall was externalized as a semi-outdoor entrance space beneath the eaves, effectively avoiding the enclosed feeling typical of large sports venues with high walls.

Due to the site’s poor soil bearing capacity, a lightweight wooden roof structure was selected. The roof spans 90 meters with large-arched wooden beams to minimize the building’s overall weight. Instead of using a truss made from multiple small-diameter woods, high heat-capacity laminated wood was employed as the main structural component. This choice balances fire resistance with structural stability. The composite structural system, combining wooden string beams and cantilever trusses, successfully covers the arena’s expansive indoor space.

Project Information

Architectural Design: Nikken Design, Clear Water Construction

Area: 39,194 square meters

Year: 2019

Photographer: Ken’ichi Suzuki, SS Company Limited

Project Design: Nikken Design

Design Supervision: Daily Construction Design

Development and Engineering: Shimizu Corporation, Masao Saitoh (Engineering Adviser)

Client: Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Non-Profit Foundation)

Construction: Clear Water Construction

Engineering Consultant: Gongnan Saito

Floors: Three above ground

Height: Approximately 30 meters

Location: Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan

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