Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium – design description

Why is Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium scheduled for redevelopment?

On September 25, 2016, Nagoya (along with the entire Aichi Prefecture) was announced as the host of the 20th Asian Games, to be held in 2026. In December 2018, Nagoya authorities announced their intentions to redevelop Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium to become the main arena for the event.

What did Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium look like before the redevelopment?

Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium (the commercial name in force since 2015 is Paloma Mizuho Stadium) opened in 1941 and was equipped with an athletics track. The facility has undergone several renovations over the years. Its capacity for football matches was 20,000 spectators. The Nagoya Grampus football team played some of their matches there (interchangeably with Toyota Stadium).

When will Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium be rebuilt?

The main contractor for the redevelopment was selected on March 5, 2021  and became Takenaka Corporation, with a contract value of more than 49.6 billion yen. The contract was signed on July 6, 2021, with redevelopment starting in November 2021. Rearrangement of the venue's surroundings is expected to last until September 2025, and the stadium redevelopment until March 2026. The venue is expected to reopen in April 2026.

During the 2026 Asian Games, the stadium is expected to host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics competitions. The Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, 2026, and will also be followed by the Asian Para Games.

What does Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium redevelopment project involve?

The project involves the complete demolition of the existing stadium and the construction of a new facility from scratch in its place. The new stadium will feature an athletics track, flanked by two-tier covered stands capable of holding 30,000 spectators (up to 35,000 when temporary seats are added).

The roof of the stadium will be characterised by a slightly irregular shape. The stands will be decorated from the outside with wooden elements. On a symbolic level, the facility is intended to represent the sky, the forest and the earth.

A specific facility will be a corridor running underneath the second tier of stands. On a day-to-day basis, it is to be used as a public running track for recreational runners. It will be extended by a footbridge over the Yamazaki River, leading to the second, outdoor running track (the two tracks together will form a figure-eight shape).