Olympic Park - uVisitRussia

Olympic Park

Sochi Olympic Park is an Olympic Park that was constructed for the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics. Located in the Adlersky City District of Sochi, Imeretinsky Valley, on the Black Sea (about 4 km, or 2.5 miles) from Russia's border with Abkhazia/Georgia), the Olympic Park houses the main Olympic Stadium used for the Games' ceremonies, and the venues that were used for indoor sports such as hockey, figure skating, curling, and speed skating. It also houses training facilities, the Olympic Village, the international broadcasting centre, and other amenities.

The park was designed so that all of the venues would be accessible within walking distance of each other. The venues are situated around a water basin containing a fountain known as "The Waters of the Olympic Park"; designed by California-based WET (which also designed the cauldron for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City), the fountain measures 5.3 meters in diameter with a capacity of about 700,000 gallons of water, featuring more than 250 nozzles and jet systems that can create fog and choreographed water displays set to music.

History

Construction of the complex in the Imereti Lowlands began in 2007. The Imereti Lowlands was an important bird area protected since 1911, most of which was destroyed during the construction. Most of the venues were completed by 2013.

Facilities

Current

• Adler Arena Skating Center: This 8,000-seat arena hosted the speed skating component of the Olympics. There are plans to potentially transform this arena into an exhibition hall for a more sustainable post-games use.

• Bolshoy Ice Dome: This 12,000-seat arena first opened in 2012. This venue hosted the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships and the 2013 Channel One Cup. During the Olympics Bolshoy Ice Dome played host to matches of the ice hockey competition. It was the main venue of the men's tournament, as well as the medal round of the women's tournament. The arena was designed to resemble a frozen water droplet. Its signature feature is its roof, which contains LED lights on its outer shell that illuminate the arena at night. The Ice Dome will be converted into an entertainment centre and concert venue.The primary tenant of the arena is currently HC Sochi, a member of the KHL. Has also hosted other events, including the Channel One Cup in 2013.

• Fisht Olympic Stadium: This was the Olympic Stadium of the 2014 games, hosting the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Paralympics. For the winter games the stadium held a capacity of 40,000 spectators. The venue will be one of eleven arenas to host matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and one of four to host the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. The stadium will seat 47,659 when it hosts these matches. It will be transformed from a domed stadium into an open-air venue during its World Cup renovation.

• Ice Cube Curling Center: This 3,000-seat arena hosted curling component of the Olympics, as well as the wheelchair curling component of the Paralympics.

• Iceberg Skating Palace: This 12,000-seat arena hosted the figure skating and the short track speed skating events of the Olympics. There have been plans to transform this venue into a track cycling velodrome for its post-game use.

• Shayba Arena: This 7,000-seat arena hosted some matches of the ice hockey competition during the Olympics, and was the venue for the ice sledge hockey tournament during the Paralympics. Shayba Arena and the Bolshoy Ice Dome are located 300 metres (980 ft) apart.

• Sochi Autodrom: This 5.848 km Formula One racing street circuit loops around the Sochi Olympic Park, and has a capacity of 55,000 spectators. This venue was opened 21 September 2014.

Other Facilities

• Olympic Village: The main Olympic Village of the 2014 games is within the Olympic Park. It was built by Basic Element. The village consists of 47 buildings and is designed for three thousand people. Athletes, journalists and members of the Olympic family were housed there. Plans are for the Olympic Village be an off-season resort complex Sochnoye' ("Juicy").

• Sochi Medals Plaza: This plaza previously accommodated 20,000 standing spectators for the victory ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic games. Portions of the venue now remain as a legacy feature of the Olympic Park.

• Sochi Media Center: This venue served as the IBC for the 2014 Olympic games. Also hosted the World Chess Championship 2014. There have been plans to transform the media center into a shopping mall for a more sustainable post-games use.

• Sochi Park: A theme park themed around the history and culture of Russia, Sochi Park is the country's first theme park. The park is 20.5 hectares, and features its own adventure park, and a hotel complex which is themed to a medieval-era castle. The park first opened only to spectators and athletes of the Olympic Games (during which it received 140,000 visitors). The park was opened to the general public on International Children's Day 1 June 2014, with an official opening on 28 June 2014.

Transportation

On the north end of the Olympic Park is the Olympic Village Station, and on the south end of the Olympic Park is the Olympic Park Station (the main transit hub of the Olympic Park). Both stations are stops on the Abkhazian railway. Just south of the Olympic Park is the M27 highway.

For the Olympics, a railway line was built connecting the Olympic Village with the airport, Sochi Olympic Village, central Sochi, and the station in Krasnaya Polyana (home to the mountain-cluster of Olympic venues). A highway was also built alongside this to further connect the Olympic Park to this area.

The Olympic Park was originally going to be serviced by several stations along the planned Sochi Metro, before that project was cancelled.