The new stadium in Samara is set to have a capacity of 45,000 and will become the home of local club side Krylia Sovetov following the 2018 World Cup. Construction work on the stadium is expected to be completed in summer 2017 and will be linked to the city and wider region with new local infrastructure development. 

Also in attendance at the ceremony was sports minister Vitaly Mutko. “All technical and administrative issues have been resolved and today we are starting to build the stadium” he said. “There are still key questions concerning the city's development… but first and foremost is the sporting infrastructure that will be built here. Samara is football's capital on the Volga. We are looking forward to all the necessary conditions being created for footballers and teams, as well as for fans to be welcomed.”

Three of the planned 12 World Cup stadiums are currently completed, with two of them requiring reconfiguration in order to host football games. Whilst the Russian Government is insisting that all the stadiums will be completed on time, previous delays have raised alarm.

Organizing committee head Alexei Sorokin told the Associated Press: ''That is a normal working concern. That does not mean we are lying down calmly and waiting for things to happen. It suggests that we are ... attentive to it.''

Whilst some of Russia’s World Cup plans appear to be on time and on budget, delays and rising building material costs are a cause for concern. The St. Petersburg stadium, for example, was due for completion in 2008 but is now unlikely to open before 2016 and at a hugely inflated cost of $1.1 billion.

There have also been a number of concerns over infrastructure spending and logistical challenges associated with holding the World Cup in Russia but officials have maintained that these issues can be resolved on time.

FIFA have said the design work for all the other stadiums is now completed and construction work is expected to begin this autumn. 

The organising committee has informed the IOC of possible revisions to the locations of some of the Games venues and organisers are considering moving certain venues into locations in the Greater Tokyo area, some as far as an hour’s drive from the city centre.

The original Tokyo bid promised a compact Games with the majority of the venues located within a five mile radius of the Olympic village, far more condensed than many recent Games. Only the shooting, modern pentathlon and football events were originally planned to be held outside of the five mile Olympic village zone.

The new plans could see some venues being moved out as far away as the city of Saitama which could result in some considerable transportation headaches. However, organisers have insisted that the revised plans would be made possible with improved transport infrastructure whilst still cutting costs. The IOC has previously praised Tokyo's venue layout and have been impressed by the city's progress.

The cost of the Games has been a cause of contention amongst Tokyo’s citizens with protests being held against the new 80,000 seated stadium which will replace the current National Stadium.

Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe has had to defend the new plans and told a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan that he has a responsibility to Tokyo taxpayers.

“How can I persuade the taxpayers to pay this kind of money? We are working with the IOC and the various sports federations to make the Games sustainable. Legacy is very important. If you abolish everything after the Games who can accept that?” said Masuzoe. 

The Commonwealth Games Federation has approved the final list of venues for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, allowing the next stage of development work to go ahead aided by AU$156 million provided by the Australian Government.

The next phase of construction includes the new 2,500 seat Carrara and Coomera Sport and Leisure Centres. 

Some venues are already completed, including the redeveloped Gold Coast Aquatic Centre which Federal Minister for Sport Peter Dutton recently inspected. The Aquatic Centre will host the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships as its first test since the redevelopment work. 

“The Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council have provided a world class facility for this international swim meet,” said Dutton.

“The new and upgraded venues will leave a lasting legacy for the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia. Not only will the 2018 Games help usher in the next generation of elite Australian athletes, but the new and improved sporting infrastructure will greatly benefit grassroots sporting programmes across Queensland. This will help to encourage higher rates of participation and promote the many benefits sport and physical activity brings.”

The Ministry for Sport believes the 2018 Games will provide a positive legacy for Queensland and the Gold Coast and expects the event will reap long-term benefits for “tourism, business development and improved social outcomes.”

“The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will once again showcase Australia to the rest of the world as a first-class sporting destination, with first class venues,” said Dutton.

“After the success of the Glasgow Games, it’s clear that the Commonwealth Games are still viewed in high regard by spectators and athletes and remains an important part of the sporting calendar.”

15 out of 17 sports will be hosted on the Gold Coast, with track cycling and shooting to take place in Brisbane and some preliminary basketball games to be held in nearby towns.

Credited with the design of some of the world’s most iconic stadiums, specialist sports architectural firm Populous continues to build upon its impressive record this year. 

Populous has worked on nine Olympic Games to date and most recently played a significant role in the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, including the design of the 40,000 capacity Fisht Olympic Stadium and the Arena das Dunas stadium in Natal for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Later this year, the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and the Incheon Asian Games will be hosted in spaces designed by Populous.

So it comes as little surprise that Populous were awarded the prestigious AJ100 International Practice of the Year award this year, beating seven other global architecture practices in the process. The expert panel mentioned the firm’s work in Sochi and Brazil as particular highlights.

Senior Principal Ben Vickery says “We are delighted to be recognised in this way for designing stadiums and temporary installations for major events around the world.  Each country and event is different and Populous has a great deal of experience designing venues and events that relate to the culture of the club, location and host country."

Populous divide their activities between the design of individual sports facilities and the masterplanning of mega events. Their expertise ranges from supporting the bid for an event, to site masterplans, overlays using temporary installations and world class stadiums. In Sochi, they took on the challenge of designing a masterplan for the Winter Olympic Games in a city that had never previously hosted any major sporting events. 

Tom Jones, Principal of the architectural practice, says “In Sochi there was no existing sporting infrastructure. This meant the Winter Park master plan required a much more extensive arrangement of new builds, as well as having all the usual functional requirements in terms of ease of access for spectators, athletes and visiting dignitaries.”

New territories

These masterplan projects have become more frequent for Populous in recent years with the trend of sporting mega events being awarded to areas of the world not previously used to hosting them. With international governing bodies becoming more inclined to take their sporting properties to cities in South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Far East Asia, Populous has had to face a whole new set of challenges and opportunities.

“In some of the territories which lack any sort of significant sporting infrastructure, you need to look at creating the entire infrastructure from the beginning, which is often not needed in cities that are more traditional hosts,” says Jones.

“On the other hand, this does give you the ability to produce a very comprehensive design that includes the transport, venue and residential requirements and assist in a regeneration of a precinct for the long term."

Populous was involved in the design of the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, which is set to host the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics competitions of the 2014 Asian Games. For the purpose of the Games, the stadium will have a capacity of 61,074, yet this will reduced down to 30,000 post-Games.

“When we look ahead to the legacy we want to ensure that the venues have a long term use and that is where the balance of permanent and temporary design comes into play," says Jones.

“There needs to be consideration of how much is built initially and the flexibility in the master plan to allow for further phases of development after the event.”

With the Incheon stadium, Populous further developed its innovative modular construction methodology, showcased at London 2012, designing just the west stand as permanent and leaving the other three sides as temporary seating built into the landscaping of park.

“Those temporary seating elements can be very easily and quickly removed, but you’re left with a sculpted landscape bowl that people can still go and sit on and watch events. Therefore, it would be quite easy to scale back up again if you had another major event.”

New or existing; temporary or permanent?

As every city is different, Populous studies each host individually to understand its requirements and formulate the best balance between building new facilities and refurbishing existing venues, as well as the balance between permanent and temporary structures.

“Some states want to construct entirely new venues for major events whilst others might want the balance of permanent and temporary installations. Either way the long term viability and ability for ongoing revenue generation is critical and needs to be judged for each event and location,” says Vickery.

“With the right mix of temporary and permanent venues, an event will be more sustainable:  economically, by only constructing venues that will have a long-term life, and environmentally by using less resources for construction. It is the development of new ideas, like these, in venue design that will be the motors of improvements in the design for sports.”

With more major events on the horizon, Populous will be working on them in a variety of capacities. In the case of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, much of the sporting facilities are already built, so Populous’ role has been to design a master plan for the residential and transport requirements.

In the case of next year’s inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, the firm is working on the overlay (temporary installation) design for two of the venues. 

“The European Games is a new event and we have not worked in Baku before, so it is exciting to develop ideas for a new location, building on the experience of designing for the London 2012 Olympics,” says Vickery.

The scale of Rio 2016’s infrastructure projects is immense and partnership with experienced suppliers from London 2012 will be crucial for success – but budgets must be carefully monitored. 

This was the message given by Rio 2016’s head of procurement, Fernando Cotrim, in an exclusive interview with HOST CITY at the South American Sport Events Seminar, organised by UK Trade and Investment during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“If you consider that you have the greatest combination of needs in terms of materials and services in one event, you can imagine the size of challenge,” Cotrim told HOST CITY. “We are looking for around 2,500 suppliers to be in place for 2016.”

Cotrim’s major area of focus is temporary construction. “The hardest part is to get the right suppliers at the right time and to build a temporary and sustainable supply chain, he said.

“That’s the challenge – the temporary part is the most important.”

London 2012 has set the template of a mega event where the majority of infrastructure is temporary. “We are taking a similar approach. Probably around 60 per cent of constructions will be temporary.”

Not only is the concept similar to London 2012; Rio 2016 is targeting the same companies. “We will use similar suppliers. The ideal for us is to bring the same suppliers but they come to Brazil, partner with local companies and help our country to grow in this business.”

Cotrim cited Arena Group, who provided temporary venues for London 2012 and Glasgow 2014, as an example of a company with expertise in this area. Other notable suppliers include ES Global, also present at the UKTI event.

Asked what his biggest concern was, Cotrim replied “Always to be monitoring – to have the best suppliers and to stay on budget. That’s a real concern. What we’ve learned from other Games is that if you don’t manage the budget you can go to infinity.

“So you have to be very cautious about the budget. We are always seeking innovative solutions, but at the same time low cost and sustainable.”

Rio 2016 has been under fire for severe delays to its construction projects, particularly the Deodoro Park cluster of venues. Cotrim says the tide of opinion is changing in the wake of a largely successful FIFA World Cup. 

“What people saw, what the media saw in the World Cup changed this mindset. Deodoro was a concern, but the suppliers are starting to work and so I think this mindset has changed a little bit. The last comment from the IOC is that we have got back on track and we are in a good shape.”

However, the IOC is still keeping a very watchful eye on Rio 2016 projects. IOC Vice President Craig Reedie confirmed to HOST CITY that the IOC’s head of Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, will be focused 100 per cent on ensuring a successful Games in 2016.

The Emir of Qatar has approved the country’s biggest ever national budget, with expenditure on infrastructure scheduled to rise faster this year. 

An unprecedented total annual expenditure of US$60bn, based on projected national revenues of US$62bn, was endorsed on Sunday by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The spending plan for the 2014-2015 fiscal year is up 3.7 per cent on the previous year. 

The increase in expenditure is accounted for by a major ramp-up of infrastructure projects prioritised for national development, which include venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Minister of Finance, His Excellency Ali Sharif Al Emadi, announced that US$24bn has been allocated for key projects. This figure, 16 per cent higher than the US$20bn set aside for such works in the previous fiscal year, represents a major step change in the pace of infrastructure work.

Al Emadi also stated that spending on key projects would reach US$182.35bn over the next five years.

The investment is necessary to start construction of new stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, with work set to begin on stadiums in Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Al Whakra, Khalifa and Lusail. 

Other areas of development include education, health and transportation. Qatar’s new airport was originally due to open in December 2012 but is not expected to start operating until the middle of 2014. 

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday announced opportunities for construction companies on the Deodoro Sports Complex, admitting there is no time to spare.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian authorities have announced a US$10.8bn budget for civic infrastructure works, amid widespread concerns about the city's readiness. Gilbert Felli, director of Olympic Games at the IOC, has introduced an unprecedented level of oversight over preparations.

Speaking to Bloomberg News on Wednesday, Paes said “[The IOC's] presence is very good, because we are going to show them we have no reason for concern.” 

Construction work is now moving forwards quickly. The Mais Rio construction consortium announced on Thursday that a two-week-long strike at the Olympic Park was over. Speaking at a press conference, Paes said “The Olympic Park is going so well that even with the strike, we haven't noticed a deviation [from the timeline]."

The biggest concern is over the Deodoro Sports Complex. “We’re left without any time to lose in Deodoro; we can’t have any errors there,” said Paes. 

The government of Rio de Janeiro formally invited companies to bid for construction work on Deodoro on Thursday. The work is being divided into two blocks. Contracts will be awarded to the lowest bidders and are expected to go for a total of US$358m of public funds. 

Paes said "We ended up without time to burn, but the equipment is much simpler than at the Olympic Park."

Rugby sevens

One of the sports to feature at the delayed Deodoro Sports Complex is rugby sevens, which will take place in a 20,000 temporary venue to be built nearer the time. 

“Following a constructive meeting with the other sports in the Deodoro Zone and Rio 2016 at SportAccord last week, we believe that the location has the potential to deliver a vibrant festival hub and a great experience for athletes and fans,” a spokesperson for the International Rugby Board (IRB) told HOST CITY on Thursday.

“However, for this to be achieved, it is essential that planning and preparations for the Zone and required infrastructure now move forward rapidly.

“As a new sport on the programme, we do not get a second chance to make a first impression. It is important all involved maintain an on-going and fully collaborative dialogue regarding venue planning, schedule integration, logistics and overall fan experience and we will continue to do all we can to support Rio 2016 and the delivery of a spectacular and memorable debut for Rugby Sevens at the Games.”

The IRB’s statement follows their chief executive Brett Gosper’s comments to the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday that “We’re more worried about actual infrastructure, public transport from other parts of Rio, to get teams and spectators out to that Deodoro Zone area.”

Conscious that civic infrastructure also needs to be upgraded quickly, Brazilian authorities have announced an infrastructure budget for the Games of US$10.8bn. The budget is 25 per cent more than originally planned, accounting for a new fourth metro line and other new projects that have pushed costs up for the host city.

The number of host cities and venues scheduled to host World Cup matches in 2022 is under review and may not be confirmed until September, a spokesperson for the Supreme Committee Delivery and Legacy told HOST CITY. 

“In due course, the final proposal for stadia will be submitted to the FIFA Executive Committee for approval. The requirement is a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 stadia,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said in a statement emailed to HOST CITY.

Qatar’s World Cup bid originally proposed an event with 12 venues encompassing all seven municipalities in Qatar. Four venues were planned for Doha, three for Al Rayyan and five for each of the other municipalities. 

One possible outcome of the review would be to only use four venues in Doha, three in Al Rayyan and one in Al Wakrah – where the first new stadium is for the World Cup is already being built. This would mean that just three of Qatar’s seven municipalities could host World Cup matches. 

“Once a country is chosen as host, a review of the bid plans is made with the organisers to propose the final host cities and stadia projects, which then need to be approved by the FIFA Executive Committee,” the Committee’s statement said. 

“For Qatar, the process of selecting the final proposed line-up of host venues is ongoing.”

Asked when the venue selection would take place, the spokesperson said “It is logical to assume that the decision by the FIFA Executive Committee will occur after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In comparison, Russia’s Host City Selection occurred on 29 September 2012.”

Russia’s bid for the 2018 World Cup originally proposed 16 stadiums in 14 host cities, which was reduced to 12 stadiums in 11 cities. 

The spokesperson declined to comment on what factors might influence a decision to reduce the number of host cities. Possible reasons include the time and investment required for venue construction, coupled with the scale of civic infrastructure work scheduled for Qatar over the next decade.

The need to safeguard legacy use for all World Cup stadiums after 2022 is also likely to influence the review. 

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke met with key figures in delivering the World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday to establish a rigorous framework for completing outstanding infrastructure work around Itaquerão stadium.

Construction works surrounding the stadium have to be completed be ready by 28 April, while temporary seating inside the stadium must be installed by 10 May, according to local media attending the meeting. A number of test events, starting on 28 April, will take place to ensure the readiness of the venue, which is also known as Arena Corinthians.

Valcke surveyed Itaquerão on Tuesday with Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo and Ronaldo Nazario, board member of the Local Organising Committee. "There is still much work to do; it's a race against time, but I can say that the opening match will take place here in the Corinthians stadium," Valcke is reported to have said.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the deadline for construction work outside the stadium, for which responsibility is shared between the municipal and the state government was set for 28 April. The deadline for completing temporary seating was set for 10 May. 

A walkway that connects the subway station to the stadium will also be completed in May, according to Julius Semeghini, state secretary of planning and regional development.

FIFA has also been monitoring road works around the stadium. According to local media, Rebelo said at the meeting "I had the opportunity to move around the vicinity of the stadium before entering to see the urban mobility works underway. I saw some completed, others in an advanced stage.”

Some small events to test the structure of the stadium have been scheduled for the 26 April, 1 May and 10 May, before FIFA’s evaluation. "The important date is the FIFA test game on 17 or 18 May. We will able to find out if everything is working and we will still have a period of three weeks to solve problems," Valcke  is reported to have said.

50,000 people are expected to come to the FIFA test event. According to Semeghini, the event will serve to assess the functioning of the integrated command and control centre, the security strategy established for the World Cup host cities.

SIS Pitches has received an order to install a new indoor rugby training pitch for England Rugby Union. 

The facility at the prestigious Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey, UK is the official training base for the England Rugby Union senior team, who first used the facilities in the run up to the Rugby World Cup in 2003. 

Pennyhill Park is located just 40 minutes from the national stadium at Twickenham. The squad is residing and training at the hotel before all international fixtures for the next four years. 

The new pitch will use the SIS Rugger surfacing system that SIS Pitches installed at Allianz Park, home of Saracens Rugby Club in 2013. Other installations include Newcastle Falcons and Durham University. 

The installation at Pennyhill includes the base layer, shockpad and surface and is due to commence in June 2014.

According to SIS Pitches, SIS Rugger has proven durability and long lasting playing characteristics even after intensive use, and is easier to maintain than traditional fibrillated surfaces.

“The contract was won despite keen interest from other suppliers and we are delighted to have been selected for this prestigious project,” said Steve Spaven, Director of Sales at SIS Pitches.