Proposed as one of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Stadia, this stadium employs cutting edge technology while presenting a building evocative of one of Al Wakrah’s most recognizable symbols. The design approach to Al Wakrah stadium draws on the same poetic inspiration as the historic Qatari dhow illustrated in the bid scheme.

Our view, however, was that the original scheme represented an unused or “dry-docked” image of the dhow. We felt that this was a potentially negative and “static” metaphor, particularly when located further from the waterfront - and the original defined Bid Book site - in a desert environment.

Our solution was to develop a dynamic design based on the dhow in full sail, “floating” on the landscape. The “sails” - actually large automatic, shading devices - provide the stadium with a dramatic and iconic skyline identity while employing an innovative and effective sustainability function.

Designed to shade the entire pitch during key match times, the sails significantly reduce the cooling load required to condition the seating bowl and pitch to the desired temperatures, while improving the comfort of the spectators in attendance. We believe this to be a far more iconic and dynamic design that employs cutting edge technology while presenting a building evocative of one of Al Wakrah’s most recognizable symbols.

PROJECT STATISTICS
LOCATION: Doha, Qatar
CLIENT: Qatar 2022 World Cup Supreme Committee
SIZE: 60,000 seats
YEAR: 2015
COST: $750 Million
PROJECT TYPE: Stadium, Interior Design & Branding, Sponsor Integration & Activation