When a city is chosen to host the Olympics, the country's government usually shells out hundreds of millions to build extravagant venues for the athletes and fans.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, which starts on Friday, will be no exception.

The Korean central government has taken on half of the $62.6 million in costs for building a new stadium for the winter games' opening and closing ceremonies in Pyeongchang. The country has also spent more than $1.5 billion on the Alpensia ski resort, which will serve as a main Olympic venue. In total, the 2018 Winter Olympics will cost South Korea about $12.9 billion, nearly double the amount the country projected when it won the bid in 2011.

While some of the minimalist venues appear to blend in with the snow, others, characterized by sweeping curved lines, look ultra-futuristic.