In pictures: Tokyo unveils heat-busting stadium, 7 months before Olympics 2020

Tokyo formally unveiled its 60,000-seater main Olympic Stadium Sunday, more than seven months before the 2020 Opening Ceremony - with a host of special features to beat the feared heat.

Built on the site of the former national stadium used for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, it has five floors above ground and two below, with greenery planted on the decks to provide shade from the scorching summer sun.

A member of the media sits on a bench in the area called “Grove of the Sky” at the new National Stadium Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, in Tokyo. The stadium is officially completed. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The eaves around the outer perimeter keep out sunlight and rain and will help channel breeze into the stadium. There are also eight mist spraying facilities, 185 fans and 16 air-conditioned lounges.

Renowned architect Kengo Kuma designed the stadium along traditional Japanese lines, with the use of wooden eaves and domestic lumber helping it to blend into the surroundings in central Tokyo.

A man is silhouetted against the sky during a tour at the new National Stadium Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, in Tokyo. The stadium is officially completed. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The unveiling will come as a relief after the humiliation in September 2016, when Abe scrapped the original plans from late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid as the costs soared beyond $2 billion.

Total construction costs including design and supervising fees came to 156.9 billion yen ($1.45 billion), within the budget, according to officials.

The venue will be open to the general public on December 21, which will also feature a visit by eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt. The first real event will be Jan. 1, 2020 with the Emperor’s Cup, the championship of the Japan football league.

The new National Stadium is reflected on the facade of a building Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, in Tokyo. The stadium is officially completed. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)