A revised design for the main Tokyo Olympic stadium is nothing more than a "white elephant" that's been stripped of its original designer's artistic talent and will forever burden the capital if built, internationally renowned architect Arata Isozaki said.
In a statement made available to the media Wednesday, the 83-year-old Isozaki said he was "shocked" to see the revised version of the replica of New National Stadium Japan, which is currently on display at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in Shinjuku.
Isozaki, who has designed Olympic venues himself in the past, went so far as to liken the proposed structure to "a turtle waiting for Japan to sink so that it can swim away."