No sooner have London’s preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics died down than a whole new set of projects are being launched over on the European continent in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be hosted in Sochi. The Sochi Olympic Park Circuit is currently under construction, as is the Fisht Olympic Stadium, and it seems this Russian resort town on the coast of the Black Sea is right on track with their Olympic construction plans.
Sochi Olympic Park Circuit
This 5.9 km circuit is being constructed as a Formula One racing track following the nation’s long-running campaign for a Russian Grand Prix; the circuit will run around the site of the Sochi Olympic Park “coastal cluster”. This cluster is where the Winter Olympic activities such as speed skating and ice hockey, as well as the much-anticipated Opening and Closing Olympic ceremonies. It’s estimated construction of the circuit is around the equivalent of 195.4 million US dollars!
The circuit’s final surface will be laid once the Olympics are over, and the first race is set to take place in 2014 or 2015 at the latest.
Fisht Olympic Stadium
The stadium, due to be built in the Sochi Olympic Park, will have a capacity of 40 000 and construction will cost around $63.5 million. The Stadium takes its name from Russia’s Mount Fisht, and the design is expected to be quite breathtaking. Fisht Stadium will be designed like a shell, with glass walls and roof to reflect sunlight off the ocean, and boasting beautiful views of the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains and the Black Sea. Following the Olympics, this awe-inspiring Sochi construction will be used as a training centre for Russia’s national football team, and as a key venue for the FIFA World Cup in 2018.
Sochi Park, London
Interestingly enough, one of the most impressive construction feats approaching the Sochi Olympics actually didn’t take place on Russian soil, but in a corner of Kensington Gardens in London, where a team from Sochi constructed a captivating winter wonderland in the midst of the balmy London summer. This pavilion, known as Sochi Park, gave tourists a taste of what to expect from the Winter Olympics in February 2014.
Attractions at Sochi Park in London included:
• Ice-skating shows
• Bobsled simulators
• Ice hockey and curling games for visitors (on plastic flooring rather than ice)
• A simulated train ride from Sochi Airport to Sochi Olympic Park
• A “4D” cinema that takes viewers on a ride over Russia’s snow-covered mountaintops amid puffs of smoke rising from the cinema floor
• Tasty traditional Russian cuisine such as beef stroganov
• Demo’s of the mobile apps and free telephone translation service that will be available at the Sochi Olympics in 2014
The promotional venue attracted plenty of international visitors, allowing them to get more acquainted with the city of Sochi, and to whet their appetites for the Winter 2014 Sochi Olympics – a clever move that should see international interest grow significantly in the year to come!
Nicky Warner is an enthusiastic freelance writer with a keen interest in major world events and construction projects; she wishes all the best to Sochi’s dedicated teams of construction workers getting down to business in their safety boots and overalls to bring the world a truly amazing Olympic event!