This is the new logo for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo – The Verge

A new logo has been selected for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, organizers announced Monday, more than seven months after the original design was scrapped amid accusations of plagiarism. The winning design, “harmonized chequered emblem,” was chosen among four logos shortlisted by the Tokyo 2020 Emblems Selection Committee. The logo was created by Asao Tokolo, a Japanese designer who is known for his intricate, mathematical motifs.

The Emblems Selection Committee was comprised of 19 members from the sports, design, and business communities. After the original design was dismissed in September 2015, the committee held a competition that saw nearly 15,000 new submissions. The four finalists were unveiled on April 8th, and the public was invited to vote for the winner.

Today’s selection comes after a tumultuous year for Olympic organizers. The event’s original logo was scrapped after it was revealed that the studio of its designer, Kenjiro Sano, used images from the internet when presenting it, and copied material from a previous campaign. In July 2015, Belgian designer Olivier Debie accused Sano of copying a design he created for a theater company in Liège, and took legal action to block its use. Debie’s studio also posted side-by-side images of each design to its Facebook page to draw attention to the similarities.

Organizers have been scrambling to complete Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, as well, after abandoning a design from the late architect Zaha Hadid due to rising costs. The Japanese Sports Council selected a new design from Kengo Kuma in December 2015, and construction is to be completed by November 2019.

• ViaNippon.com (Twitter)
• SourceTokyo 2020