Dunes Stadium

Doha, Qatar

Client: Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery
Collaboration: ASVD

The dune has always been seen as a unique natural phenomenon that is somehow a line which changes and adjusts based on the wind movement creating a meander of ever changing profiles of the desert terrain that has captured the fascination of mankind. For us to Celebrate the Dune is to celebrate our evolution, history, traditions & culture and at the same time a challenge to drive our country into becoming state of the art in technology while realizing the value of preserving our environment as our ancestors did.

The concept envisioned herein is to create the iconic stadium a unique feature and destination that shall serve the FIFA 2022 event and also have a potential to become a legacy structure and turn into a multipurpose venue that will serve the public well beyond the event. The stadium envisioned would become a strong symbol of Qatar’s aspiration as a major regional player for the future and mark a celebration of its own land, culture and identity as a people. “Celebrating the Dune” connects the design and cultural symbolism with significant reference to Qatari natural landscape. It is emblematic of both dimensions, between manmade and work of nature.

Located within the future city of Lusail, Stadium, although a standalone structure, is considered within the overall masterplan of the new city’s context. The site planning is based on translation of desert landscape, a composition of unique ground features and vegetation, true to the local environment. The design intent is to derive a synergy between the natural and built environments aptly engineered to achieve an ecofriendly sustainable development.

The site caters for a wide range of activities and entertainment, dining, and retail amenities that create a unique identity for the game and the surrounding area. The site accommodates fan needs outside of the facility, including welcoming plazas and wide sidewalks, pedestrian gateways, shaded gathering areas, fan services for guests with special needs, and convenient parking and drop-off areas. All are within creatively designed permanent and temporary structures inspired from the desert landscape and living.

The Dune, which is the stadium, is located on a general pedestrian platform. The platform segregates pedestrian and vehicular circulation and provides a multitude of external activities to the inner rim of the stadium. It adopts organic form with branches, reaching out to every cluster of car park. On this platform there is an intense translation of desert landscape right from species of vegetation to its temporary structures all of which shall be shaded.