Sochi Olympic Park (Russian: Олимпийский парк Сочи) is an Olympic Park in Sochi, Russia. It situated in the urban-type settlement of Sirius in Imeretinsky Valley, on the coast of the Black Sea. 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".[1][2]
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. The Olympic Park was until 2019 located in the Adlersky City District of Sochi. However, in 2019 it was transferred into the newly established urban-type settlement of Sirius.
Facilities
Panoramic view of Sochi Olympic Park around the time of the 2014 games
Current
Map of the Olympic Park during the 2014 Olympic Games, with all venues gathered around the Medals Plaza (Note: This map does not include the Sochi Autodrom, which was not finished at the time of the Olympics. This map also does not account for any other post-game modifications to the Olympic Park. While included in the map, the cemetery is not labeled)
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.[5] The Ice Dome will be converted into an entertainment centre and concert venue.[6] 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.
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, in time for the inaugural running of the Russian Grand Prix. It hosted Formula One from 2014 to 2021, as the race did not run in 2022, when the contract to host the race was terminated in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Fisht Olympic Stadium
Adler Arena
Bolshoy Ice Dome
Iceberg Palace
Shayba Arena
Sochi Autodrome
View from above
Other Facilities
Sochi Park
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").[12]
Sochi Medals Plaza: This plaza previously accommodated 20,000 standing spectators[10] 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.[4]
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.
Temporary structures
A range of temporary pavilions and other facilities were erected during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, including:
The Microsoft Pavilion: A modular building designed by the Nowadays Office architectural firm. Wooden slats featuring the colour scheme of the Microsoft logo formed the basis of the design, producing a moire effect.[13]
Cemetery
Within the Olympic Park lies a 2-acre cemetery, which predates the Olympic venues by nearly a century. The cemetery, which dates back to 1915, contains the graves of individuals that belonged to the Old Believers faith. The cemetery is located between the Iceberg Skating Palace, Fisht Stadium, and the medals plaza. It is located in a circular grove, but is largely obscured by plants. During the Olympic and Paralympic games, Canada and the United States had National Houses located near the graveyard on the end opposite to the medals plaza. Dmitry Chernyshenko, the president and CEO of the Sochi Organizing Committee, claimed in a September 2013 New York Times interview that the cemetery was retained both in good-will, and due to Russian law forbidding the moving of the graves. A cemetery needs to have had no new burials for at least a half-century, and only through the decision of relatives of those buried could a cemetery be considered for relocation. Burials are still ongoing at the cemetery.[14][15][16]
Former
Hockey Training Rink- This was a training venue for Ice Hockey during the Olympics
Ice Skating Training Rink -This was a training venue for Figure Skating during the Olympics
Transportation
Olympic Park railway station
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 Light Metro, before that project was cancelled.
^Madler, Mark (24 February 2014). "WET Design Runs Rings Around Rivals". San Fernando Business Journal. Los Angeles, California: California Business Journals. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
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