A number of venues, particularly in Sochi's coastal cluster of venues just yards from the Black Sea coast and beach, will wow visitors in 2014.

The Bolshoi Ice Palace (pictured above) is perhaps the most iconic of the venues, from the outside looking like a huge frozen ice drop.

The Maly Ice Palace is similarly impressive from the outside, resembling a snow whirl.

"Each venue has an original and memorable shape," Harchenko told insidethegames.

"People like it when they see the architecture of a certain image.

"Therefore, we agreed with the architects that they will seek an image component.

"[The] Olympic Stadium rises over the Olympic Plaza as a top of a mountain above the plain, like a sail above the water surface.

"The venue perfectly fits into the seaside panorama.

"I am sure that in the course of time this venue will become one of the trademarks of Sochi."

Maly Ice Palace, one of Sochi's massive 2014 Winter Olympic constructions

Harchenko said that the construction of venues has benefited from the fact that they are located compactly without too great a distance between them.

"[The] construction sites are situated close to each other.

"Even the freight yards are located in close proximity to construction sites in order to minimise the time for delivery of materials and structures for the construction site.

"The complexity of the project is that all venues are being built at the same time.

"And there are hundreds of them.

"Can you imagine the scale of this project?"

As Harchenko points out, it is not just all the new sporting venues which represent a challenge, but new railways and roads are being constructed in a town in which transport at present is a logistical problem, with just one main road connecting the city.

By 2014 there will be new roads to ease the congestion in the middle of Sochi, and Harchenko says: "Our aim is to properly connect and coordinate all of these processes according to the schedule.

A general view over the Sochi river with the mountains in the background

"A lot of infrastructure facilities are being used by the residents of the city at the present time."

Construction of infrastructure will be the focus of their work next year, after the completion of all the sports venues for Sochi 2014.

Those will all be finished this year, with the Olympic Stadium being completed next year.

The Olympic Stadium will host only the Opening and Closing Ceremony of Sochi 2014, but will also be used for World Cup matches in 2018.

The changes being made to Sochi will be huge when complete, transforming the small Black Sea resort into a year round tourist hotspot with modern infrastructure.

As Harchenko puts it in his understated way, "the city is changing."

Contact the writer of this story at david.gold@insidethegames.biz