COVER STORY | QATAR 2022

QATAR
CALL UP
On 2nd December 2010, Qatar surprised everyone by being
chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. Now, MEA brings you
our pick of the stadiums, speaks to lead architect Albert Speer
and Partners and lays down some facts about
sustainability in the desert. Game on.

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 QATAR 2022 | COVER STORY

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COVER STORY | QATAR 2022

AL-GHARAFA
STADIUM
The existing 21,175 capacity
Al-Gharafa stadium will be
expanded to 44,740 seats using
modular elements forming an upper
US$9
tier. The facade will be made up of
ribbons representing the nations that
BILLION
COST OF THE NEW DOHA
qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
stadium will be downscaled to its EXPECTED TO OPEN IN
existing capacity after the 2012, IT CAN HANDLE
tournament ends. UP TO 50 MILLION
PASSENGERS

AL-KHOR
STADIUM
Al-Khor is a brand new 45,330-
capacity stadium with a stunning
seashell motif and a flexible roof. The
permanent lower tier seats 25,500 and
the modular upper tier seats 19,830.
The stadium offers spectators a direct
view of the Arabian Gulf from
their seats and will be located
in a new sports and
recreation zone.

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 QATAR 2022 | COVER STORY

AL-RAYYAN
STADIUM
The existing Al-Rayyan
Stadium with a seating capacity
of 21,282 will be expanded to 44,740
seats using modular elements to form
an upper tier. The stadium is designed
with a special facade that acts as
a screen for projecting news and
current matches. The stadium
will be downsized after the
tournament.

AL-SHAMAL
STADIUM
Al-Shamal stadium will have
a capacity of 45,120, with a
permanent lower tier of 25,500 seats
and a modular upper tier of 19,620
seats. The stadiums shape is derived
US$42.9
from the dhow fishing boat used in
the Gulf. Spectators can reach the
BILLION
QATAR’S EXPENDITURE
stadium from the Bahrain-Qatar ON NEW ROADS
Friendship Bridge and the THROUGHOUT 2011
new Metrorail.

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COVER STORY | QATAR 2022

AL-WAKRAH
STADIUM
Al-Wakrah is one of Qatar’s
oldest cities and has a long history
of commercial fishing and pearl
diving. Al-Wakrah stadium, with a
capacity of 45,120, is influenced by the
sea that has played such an important
role in the city’s history. After the
FIFA World Cup, the stadium’s
capacity will be reduced to
25,500 seats.

US$42.9
BILLION
QATAR’S INVESTMENT
IN A RAIL NETWORK

DOHA PORT
STADIUM
The Doha Port Stadium will
have 44,950 seats and sit on an
artificial peninsula. It’s marine setting
is behind the design, and water from
the Gulf will run over its outer facade.
After the event the stadium will be
disassembled and the seats sent
to developing countries to
further their football
development.

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 QATAR 2022 | COVER STORY

QATAR
UNIVERSITY STADIUM
Qatar University Stadium
will replace an existing track and
field stadium on Qatar University’s
campus and will have 43,520 seats.
The stadiums facade blends traditional US$17
Arabic geometric patterns with free-
form open surfaces. The stadium BILLION
will be downsized to 23,500 QATAR’S ALLOCATED
following the event, and BUDGET FOR TOURISM
used by students. IN 2014 ALONE

UMM SLAL
STADIUM
Umm Slal Stadium will be
built close to one of Qatar’s most
historically important forts and
seat 45,120. The design is a modern
interpretation of traditional Arab
forts located nearby. After the FIFA
World Cup seating capacity will
be reduced to 25,500. The
stadium will be used by
Umm Slal FC.

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COVER STORY | QATAR 2022
COOLING
QATAR
Who said cooling can’t be carbon neutral?
A
The model lot of the criticism sur-
stadium was rounding Qatar’s bid
built to prove for the 2022 World Cup
that Qatar could surrounded the heat,
deal with its given that most of the games will be
hot and humid played during the country’s hottest
climate. months of the year.
The fact that Qatar planned to air
condition its stadiums has also been
subject to some scepticism, but as
engineering giant Arup reveals, it is
possible to keep football stadiums
both cool and sustainable even in the
country’s hottest months.
Arup designed a 500-seat, carbon-
zero model stadium as a development
platform to refine sustainable tech-
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nologies for application across Qatar
and potentially across all arid regions.
The stadium was designed to demon-
strate to FIFA that the harsh climate
over the summer months is no longer
a barrier to hosting global events.
The showcase is based on three key
aspects: an exciting architecture and
structure which develops traditional
passive design ideas to a new energy-
saving and comfortable architecture;
photovoltaics that convert the energy
of the sun into electricity and captur-
ing and converting the sun’s heat into
cooling for summertime air condi-
tioning using under-seat supply. The
canopy roof, the fi rst of its kind in the
world, moves to provide cooling shade
within the building and insulates
against the hot sun in summer. In
addition to protection from sun-
light, the canopy can be positioned
to protect from wind during match
times and let spectators and players
take advantage of natural ventilation.
In hot conditions, the canopy can be
closed in the run-up to an event to
allow cooling to work at maximum ef-
ficiency, using cooling from the sun to
cool down the volume ready for match
time in the summer evenings, when it
can be opened.
Meanwhile, the venues’ solar
panels will operate year-round, con-

Solar heat will be converted into
cooling, which will be pumped out
through the stadium seats.
23°C RECORDED
TEMPERATURE
tinuously exporting INSIDE ARUP’S lectors, which have
electrical energy to the STADIUM a series of motorised
grid. On a match day, the mirrors that track the sun,
higher electrical demand will focusing the sun’s power onto
bring electricity back into the facility collecting tubes which have hot water
from the grid. This electricity, to- circulating in them. They collect this
gether with generators using biofuels, energy in the form of heat, which
provide robust and reliable power for is converted into cooling for the
both technical and general power, so Showcase environment, and electric-
the events are assured power during ity to supply lighting, power and other
the World Cup. The amount of elec- functions within the space. The solar
tricity generated in this way from the energy heats water to 200C and is
sun exceeds the amount of electricity converted to cooling water by ma-
imported for events over the year, chines called absorption chillers.
making the facility zero carbon for The air-handling units supply this
electricity. Next to the photovoltaic air to the area beneath the spectators
panels is an array of solar heat col- seats. This cools the seating area and
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QATAR 2022 | COVER STORY
Solar panels will
be operational
all year round,
feeding into the
national grid.
flows down to create cooling for the
players. The surfaces of the Showcase
are designed to remain cool through-
out the match to help to stabilise the
heat gains from lights and people. The
maximum temperatures are below
the guidelines by FIFA to avoid play-
ers suffering significant heat stress
and also beat the ASHRAE comfort
standards for spectators.
During the FIFA visit, with an
outside temperature having reached
44 degrees only two hours earlier,
the temperature on the pitch was
recorded as 23 degrees. The stadium
was instrumental in securing Qatar’s
successful bid.
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