What to know about the venue being built for the 2020 Olympics gymnastics events

The newly constructed gymnastics venue for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan moved a step closer to completion on Monday afternoon. 

Members of the media from all across the world, including KPRC2, were able to get a first-hand look inside the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, now 80 percent complete. 

The building, which will host gymnastics and trampoline events at the Olympics games, has been designed with aspects of traditional Japanese building methods. Designers are using more wood in the design than any other new venue of the upcoming Olympics. The goal: sustainability. 

A peek inside the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo. It’s 80% finished and will hold 12,000 spectators next year at the 2020 Olympic Games. #Tokyo #Olympics #Gymnastics #KPRC2

Posted by KPRC2 Christine Noël on Monday, July 22, 2019

The roof of the facility is also made up of a giant timber arch from Japanese larch wood. The project’s architects say it is the largest wooden arch of its kind in the world. Each of the five sections weighs 200 tons. 

At the event Monday, building designers said they hope the warmth of the wood makes spectators and athletes feel comfortable and confident inside the arena. 

The facility can hold 12,000 spectators. 

The Ariake Gymnastics Centre will be completed in October, exactly nine months before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.