Populous - 2014 Winter Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia

Following their successful submission to design the 2012 Olympic Stadium for London, the Populous has yet again emerged the front-runner in a bid to design the main stadium for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Based on sustainable architecture lines, the stadium will be wrapped in a shimmering crystalline skin and make use of advanced material technology, together with natural lighting and ventilation. Looking like a riverside pebble, the stadium will accommodate about 40,000 spectators. According to the senior principal of the Populous, John Barrow, “The main stadium design, in addition to the venue overlay plan we have prepared for the 2014 Games, delivers a wonderful vision for the winter Olympics, and a lasting sustainable legacy for Sochi. Its sweeping form responds to both its coastal location and mountainous backdrop, whilst its crystalline skin engages with its surroundings by day, and provides an iconic representation of the color and spectacle of the games when illuminated at night.”