The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes

Could The Twist beat Zaha's Tokyo stadium?

French architects MenoMenoPiu and FHF submit an impressive rival bid for Japan's 2020 Olympic stadium

Back in November we reported that Zaha Hadid was designing Japan's new national stadium for Tokyo, where Olympic events would be held if the city is chosen hosts for 2020 games. This news hasn’t stopped rival firms from throwing their hat into the ring; two Parisian outfits, MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes, have teamed up to present The Twist.

   

The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes
The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes

This, they say, would be home to all manner of other events as well as Olympics ones, including concerts. The twist, so to speak, is a gently-sloped ramp which allows wheelchair users easy access. “Our stadium concept, unlike other conventional stadiums, is an elliptical spiral which is gradually unrolling and forming the built space with a slope of 2%,” say MenoMenoPiu.

   

The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes
The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes

It would house not only 80 000 seats – standard number for Olympic briefs - but would also connect to “gardens, squares, covered pedestrian streets, gathering spaces”, the architects add. The firms have included an exterior layer, which would house offices, apartments and commercial spaces. “This second structure is the support of the extension and for the integration of the stadium into the city,” they say. These commercial concerns would also finance the stadium’s construction, while offering potential buyers a novel view of the games. The Twist's roof would also harvest solar energy and rainwater, adding to its eco-credentials.

   

The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes
The Twist by MenoMenoPiu Architects and FHF Architectes

Whether the burghers of Tokyo could be persuaded to ditch Hadid’s sleek scheme – scheduled for completion in 2018 – in favour of this one seems unlikely. Perhaps one of the rival hosts, Istanbul or Madrid, would like it?
Read more about The Twist here. And for more on how we built today, consider our Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture, featuring the best new constructions from all over the world.