ATHLETES can expect to be greeted by fresh air, a large green space and cuisine from different localities when they stay at the Universiade Village in Longgang District during the 2011 Summer Universiade.
Three people will share each apartment, said Zhou Yanbing, head of the management department of the Shenzhen Universiade Village. Each room will have one bathroom, he said.
Zhou was a member of a Shenzhen delegation that recently visited Belgrade, the host city of the 25th Summer Universiade to be held from July 1 to 12. While in Belgrade, the delegation made several visits to the Universiade Village to learn from that city’s experience with construction and management of the village.
The biggest difference between the two villages lies in their functions, Zhou said. The Universiade Village in Belgrade was built to ultimately become an upmarket housing estate, while Shenzhen’s is being built on the new campus of Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology and is designed according to the needs of the school. “They both have their strong points and weak points,” he said.
A three-room apartment in the Universiade Village in Belgrade can accommodate eight to nine athletes who share one bathroom, Zhou said.
The Shenzhen Universiade Village is located to the east of Longxiang Thoroughfare and to the south of Longxing Road in Longgang. It is designed to provide 587,000 square meters of floor space, yesterday’s Daily Sunshine reported.
A computer-generated image of the village shows three zones, including a running zone where athletes can be registered, receive certificates and have their qualifications reviewed. A welcome center there will serve as the entrance to the Universiade Village.
The residential zone comprises five dormitories equipped with two canteens that will be open 24 hours a day. The canteens are in walking distance from the dorms.
The international zone covers the most area and is designed for interaction among athletes and leisure time after competitions. It will include a flag-raising square, administration building, office of the village head, business center, fitness center, religious center and cultural exhibition section. It will also have coffee and Internet bars, a movie center and other entertainment facilities.
Belgrade’s Universiade Village has a “volunteer corner,” at which volunteers can read books, surf the Internet and rest when they feel tired or have spare time. “We can consider this for the design of our Universiade Village,” Zhou said. (Eunice Kang)