2017 WU: Venue Construction Right on Track

ALMATY – The Almaty 2017 OC hosted a press tour allowing media representatives to get acquainted with the construction progress of three main venues for the 2017 Winter Universiade, i.e. the ‘Ice Arena’ with 3,000 seats, the ‘Ice Palace’ with 12,000 seats and the Athletes’ Village for 5,000 people. The OC stated that all venues of the Universiade will be ready by 30 August, 2016. The share of investment coming from Kazakhstan investors is over 50%. The construction of venues involved more than 50,000 employees. After the games, these venues will become a legacy for the Almaty citizens. The opening of the venues will take place this year – the Year of the celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Almaty. It is to be recalled that this 1,000^th birthday of the metropolis is on the list of UNESCO anniversaries.

«Ice Arena» with 3,000 Seats

By 22 March of this year, the Ice Arena with capacity of 3,000 seats will be ready in the Medeu district. By the 6 July, the landscaping of the area, as well as the construction of the main arena and the office building, will be completed. During the 28th Winter Universiade in 2017, the Ice Arena will host the men’s ice hockey competitions. The Ice Arena comprises two ice venues: a small arena (300 seats, 4 locker rooms with 200sq.m, referee zone, medical centre, gym hall, acrobatics hall, and administrative premises and offices) and the main arena (8 locker rooms with 200 square meters, 3,000 seats, referee zone, press centre/media centre, cafe with 160 seats and 2 cafe-bars with 150 seats, doping control and a medical centre).

«Ice Palace» with 12,000 seats

The construction of the administrative building, swimming pool, and the ice rink is already completed; the main venue will be ready by 9 May, 2016. The Ice Palace is the largest sports venue built for the 2017 Winter Universiade. It will include two arenas, the main arena with 12,000 seats and a smaller arena with 475 seats. During the 28th Winter Universiade, the main arena will stage the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the figure skating competitions. The smaller arena will host curling. The building also includes halls for boxing, wrestling, table tennis, dance, acrobatics, in addition to two gyms and a medical rehabilitation centre.

The Ice Palace and Ice Arena are being built with the perspective of their large-scale use after the Games. These venues are designed with the possibility of transforming the ice surface of the arena into a volleyball, basketball, or indoor soccer fields. In order to host wide-scale concerts, these venues employ the most advanced solutions for both scenic sound and light. Both arenas are designed with the possibility of hosting conferences, forums, and exhibitions. These new arenas will become a permanent place for professional athletes as they provide the highest level of conditions for training sessions. The ice arenas will also be open for the general public. Potential use of the new venues is quite large: public skating, amateur competitions, organisation of sports events and clubs. The overall infrastructure of the venue – large underground and surface parking lots, halls, dressing rooms, cafes, bars and restaurants – provide comfortable conditions for hosting events in Almaty.

Athletes’ Village for 5,000 Residents

The first four buildings of the Athletes’ Village will be ready by 22 March, four more buildings will be ready by 9 May, while the two remaining buildings will be finished by 6 July. Landscaping will take place by 1 August, while the completion of all construction works and commissioning of the venue, similar to other venues, will take place by 30 August of this year. The Athletes’ Village will have a developed social infrastructure and serve as a transportation hub. Modernisation of the infrastructure will create and stimulate further development in the Alatau district.

(Source: OC Almaty 2017)