international
construction
april 2015
SITEREPORT
64
Olympic vision
Work started in 2010, somewhat against the normal run of
things, as at that point, the city was not in line for any major
sporting events. However, by the end of the year it had won
the competition to host the 2017 Asian Indoor-Martial Arts
Games.This is a new competition first held in 2013, combining
the previous regional Indoor Games – comprising more than
30 events, including athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling and
swimming– andMartialArts competition,which comprisesnine
combat sports.
The 2017 event will be the first time in the history of either
the individual ormerged events that they have been hosted by a
Central Asian country.
Early challenges
According to Polimeks’ deputy regional manager and project
manager for the scheme, Osman Karakus, the project has been
difficult from the start.
“The first challenge we faced was that this area was an old
quarry.The material had been extracted and the site back filled
with rubbish and rubble.We excavated about 3millionm
3
and
back filled it with engineeringmaterial. Sowe worked for about
16monthswithoutmaking any real progress.Wehad44months
for Phase I andwe used16months doing that, sowewere under
pressure.”
“Wehad toworkday andnight on that.Wehavehad two shifts
on this project since the start,” he said.
Since then the contractor has completedPhase I of the scheme.
This is contained within the southern portion of the site and
comprises threemajor indoorvenues, the6,000 seatervelodrome,
a5,000 seater arena for combat sports, and a15,000 seater venue
for basketball, gymnastics, badminton and table tennis, among
others. As well as the public areas, these facilities also include
training andwarm-up areas.
T
he Olympic Complex in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan might
be the biggest building construction project underway
anywhere in the world today. The three-phase project
covers a 1.57km
2
site in the southernpart of the capital city, and
comprises seven major indoor sporting venues with capacities
from5,000 to45,000 spectators.
Also included in the project are outdoor venues, hotels,
restaurants, car parks, an Olympic village with capacity for
12,000 competitors and a 5 kmmonorail to connect them all
together. In all, there are 52major construction schemes within
the project.
With a contract value of more than US$ 5 billion, all three
phases of the project are being undertaken byTurkish contractor
Polimeks on a turnkey basis, withArup also contributing design
services.
TheUS$ 5 billionOlympic
Complex in Turkmenistan’s
capital Ashgabatmight
be the biggest building
construction project in the
world today.
Chris Sleight
visited the site.
Olympic vision
A rendering of the overall project.
The completed Phase I is to the top
of the frame. Phase III is the central
stadium and Olympic Village to the
right and Phase II is the area below
themain stadium.
Construction of
some of the 14
tower blocks
in the Olympic
Village, which
will provide
accommodation
for 12,000
athletes.
