Volgograd’s main symbol of World Cup 2018 – the 45 000 seat arena – is going to be built on the site of the already-existing “Rotor” stadium located in the central area of the city, on the bank of the Volga River, near the famous Mamayev Hill. As Eugene Vdovin, chief architect of the project shared, the proximity of this memorial complex influenced to a large extent the development of the image and space/volume solution of the stadium. “We consciously laid our main stress on the interaction of the monument and this sports facility, seeking to reconcile the symbols of the military past of the city and its peaceful present” – the architect shares. For this purpose, the most capacious grand stand of the stadium (also called, the “people’s” one) is executed in the shape of amphitheater overlooking the monument. The amphitheater is hooded by a translucent “wind sail”, whose expressive parabola can be seen both from the foot of the Mamaev Hill, and from the riverside. Originally, proceeding from the shape of this element, the architects painted it the colors of the rainbow, but later on, they embellished on its palette, making a sail consisting of the flags of the countries from all over the world. Designing the new stadium automatically necessitated the development of the whole embankment of the adjacent territory of the Central Park. And, this being the higher bank of the Volga, the architects made the most of the landscape by turning the river bank into a multifunctional, three-level promenade. They were able to find room for the city beach, a network of bicycle tracks, and numerous shops and cafes. In the immediate vicinity of the stadium the parking garages will be placed – the three-level parking garage that is going to stay open after World Cup 2018, and the parking lot that is going to be liquidated after the event. And as for the Mamaev Hill, it is going to be connected to the stadium and the riverside with a separate parade promenade. The issue of the shortage of hotels was addressed by the architects in an integrated way. On the one side, they are designing a whole block of apartments that will be adjacent to the North-West border of the stadium area, on the other side, they are reconstructing the already-existing student dormitories located not far from the Central Park and “Tourist” hotel, and finally, they are proposing to make use of the water area and build a floating hotel on the Volga River. And, while this latter object has a prominent “shipping” streamlined shape, the landside hotels are designed in the colors rhyming with those of the stadium – the elongated façade surfaces are decorated with plaques that give these building a bright and festive look.