News: Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled its design for the first of several new stadiums that will hold football matches during the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Despite efforts to move the international football tournament to the winter, Zaha Hadid Architects is working alongside architecture and engineering firm AECOM to design a 40,000-seat venue that will be suitable for use during Qatar's hot summer climate.
The stadium will be located in Al Wakrah, the southern-most city hosting the tournament. It is the first of up to nine stadiums that could be constructed in Qatari cities, with five expected to start on site next year.
According to project director Jim Heverin, the shape of the stadium will be based on the curved form of the Dhow - a type of Arabian fishing boat that can often be spotted at the town's harbour.
This form will give the structure a curving roof intended to shield both players and spectators from the intense desert sunshine, which can cause temperatures to exceed beyond 50 degrees.
The architects also plan to combine mechanical air-conditioning with passive design principles to keep temperatures below 30 degrees.
During the tournament the venue will accommodate 40,000 spectators, but this will be reduced to 20,000 once the competition is over. Left-over seats will then be removed and shipped to developing countries.
Zaha Hadid is also currently working on a stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which recently came under fire after Japanese architects said it was too big.
