Qatar lifts curtain on Zaha Hadid-designed FIFA World Cup stadium
by Andrew Manns | 03 May 2019
Final images of the 40,000-capacity Al Wakrah stadium – designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid – have come to light.
The expansive sports facility, which will host matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup first broke ground in 2014.
It is the second tournament-ready stadium to be inaugurated after the Khalifa International Stadium opened to the public in 2017.
Hadid reportedly shaped Al Wakrah to mirror the lateen sails of traditional Arabian dhow boats.
According to Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the structure's design was finalised by engineering American planning and engineering company AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA).
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Various development and infrastructure firms have also contributed to the project, including Midmac and PORR Qatar.
In a description from ZHA's website, the architects said their project "echoes the forms of Al Wakrah's dhow boat hulls that are upturned on the beach by local fishermen when they return to land to create shelter".
"The fluid lines of a dhow's wooden structure are expressed in the stadium's façade and roof," they added.
Speaking on the project, the site's project manager, Thani Khalifa Al Zarraa, said: "Its innovative and futuristic design means it is set to be one of the iconic venues during the first FIFA World Cup in the Arab world.
"We hope thousands of football fans across the country will join us for this landmark occasion as we celebrate the progress we have made to-date and look forward to 2022 with renewed excitement."
After the FIFA games, the stadium's 20,000 seats will be donated to burgeoning football projects overseas.
Al Wakrawh is set to host the Amir Cup on 16 May.
Qatar FIFA Zaha Hadid World Cup
The stadium will also be surrounded by 90,000 sq of green space allocated for various leisure activities, such as horseback riding and cycling. Credit: Courtesy of the Supreme Committee for Delivery Legacy
Final images of the 40,000-capacity Al Wakrah stadium – designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid – have come to light. The expansive sports facility, which will host matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup first broke ground in 2014. It is the second tournament-ready stadium to be inaugurated after the Khalifa International Stadium opened to the public in 2017. Hadid reportedly shaped Al Wakrah to mirror the lateen sails
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