Foster + Partners has been chosen ahead of David Chipperfield Architects, Mossessian & Partners and Mangera Yvars Architects to design the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar centerpiece - the Lusail Stadium. The British practice will now move forward with its competition-winning scheme (first proposed in 2010) with the help of stadium experts ARUP and Populous.
“It is an honor to design this centerpiece stadium – we are delighted to have won the international competition. This is an exciting step forward in stadium design – it will be the first to break the mould of the free standing suburban concept, and instead anticipates the grid of this future city, of which it will be an integral part,” said Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners.
“The project also pioneers the idea of an ongoing life for the stadium beyond the big event. The environmental strategies, particularly those that address the players as well as the spectators, will also be of international interest to the sporting public as well as those concerned with the architecture,” he added.
Located in Lusail City, 15 kilometers north of Doha, the 80,000-seat stadium will host 2022 World Cup’s opening ceremony and final match. It's design features an open-air pitch that can be cooled to an optimal 26 degrees Celsius using cooled and shaded spectator stands and state-of-the-art green technologies.
Hassan Al Thawadi, SC Secretary General, said: “We are excited to announce that the design contract has been awarded to Foster and Partners for Lusail Stadium. We look forward to working with them in creating an iconic, contemporary stadium inspired by Qatari culture. Lusail Stadium will be the centre-piece of the tournament, an architecturally innovative stadium which maintains sporting functionality and delivers on our sustainability commitments.”
“With this design award, our vision for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East is taking on further shape, following our recently-held first Local Organising Committee board meeting and with five stadiums currently in different stages of construction across the country,” Al Thawadi continued.
News via SC
