WASHINGTON, September 25 (RIA Novosti) – An American architecture and urban design firm has designed a new outdoor ‘lifestyle village’ in Sochi, which will also serve as a location for celebrations of the Winter Olympics in 2014, according to an official statement from the company.
Los Angeles-based The Jerde Partnership designed Mandarin, a 33,000-square meter (8.15-acre) area of “beachfront entertainment attractions” which it bills as “the first and only outdoor lifestyle entertainment center in Russia.”
The development will provide “an important celebration and gathering space during the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics,” according to the statement.
Mandarin consists of 10 separate two level buildings connected by plazas, bridges and walkways and includes over 80 shops, cafes and restaurants, the company said.
In addition, there are recreation and entertainment facilities, including a children’s center, a nightclub, a concert venue and a multimedia laser show about Sochi, while a 36-meter tall tower (118.11 feet) offers views of Sochi, the sea and the Caucasus Mountains.
The Jerde Partnership says it has developed open-air community leisure centers like Mandarin around the world.
This is the firm’s first project in Russia, although the Jerde-designed Kuntsevo Plaza which is under construction in Moscow is scheduled to open in 2014, according to the company’s statement.
