Qatar’s Al Wakrah Stadium – the 2022 world cup venue was designed by late Zaha Hadid. The 40,000 capacity arena, which will host games up to the soccer tournament’s quarter-finals stage, was first unveiled back in 2013.
The structure itself is now complete and work is progressing on the internal finishes, the roof, and the façade. the energy centre that will serve the venue has also been built, while the precinct infrastructure and hard landscaping are also advancing.
Located in one of Qatar’s oldest continuously inhabited areas, the Zaha Hadid-designed venue has been described as ‘an extraordinary stadium for an adventurous city’. The stadium will also have a retractable roof that will be able to close in approximately 30 minutes. A light sleeve, made of steel wires brought together at an oculus, will also provide shade to the entire pitch and contribute to the efficiency of the cooling system before the match. Resembling curved hockey sticks, a series of 540-tonne pillars are the main support for the arena’s retractable roof. the roof steel elements for the columns originated in China and were fabricated in Italy and later shipped to Qatar.
The venue will also comprise schools, a wedding hall, tennis courts, basketball courts, restaurants, a swimming pool, gyms, and marketplaces amenities designed to be used by the community for years to come. After the tournament, the region’s local team — Al Wakrah Sports Club — will stadium the venue as its new home.