Rio Olympic village finishes 85% of construction work

Buildings under construction are pictured at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games athletes village in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 21, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DE JANEIRO - Construction of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic village is 85 percent complete and due to be concluded by end of the year, the construction consortium Ilha Pura told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Construction of the village began in July 2012. There are 31 buildings, each with 17 floors, divided into seven condominiums. The 3,604 apartments and 10,160 bedrooms will have a total capacity of 18,000 guests.

The village is being constructed next to Barra Olympic Park, which is located in the southwest of Rio and will be the heart of the Games. Different from the sluggish preparation for the Brazil World Cup, the construction of Olympic village is on time.

Currently all of the 31 buildings in the village have taken shape. "85% of the work has now been completed and workers are focusing the final phases on the construction site," said Mauricio Cruz, general director of Ilha Pura.

Temporary structures will include a health centre, a cafeteria with space for 5,000 diners and a gym.

"On July 24, 2016, the village will open to welcome the athletes. To make them feel more comfortable, the buildings include wider doors, higher showers and elevators capable of handling up to two wheelchairs at the same time," added Cruz.

After construction work is completed, the process of transforming the buildings into the residential complex will begin.

"Everything is developing very well at the village," said Mario Cilenti, the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic village director.

"We are working in partnership with Ilha Pura and we have a highly-qualified team with broad experience in other Games. We will take charge of the village on March 1, 2016. At that moment, we will begin the structural transformation and the installation of cabling and furniture, among other things. We will have sufficient time for all the necessary structural testing and to allow the suppliers and the team that will work there to gain access."