Promotion: lighting company MASQ has orchestrated a lighting concept that aims to enhance the "complex and curvature architecture" of the Zaha Hadid Architects-designed Al Janoub Stadium.

Informed by Qatar's maritime heritage, the open-air Al Wakrah Stadium in Doha was created by Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

The design has an openable roof and a seating-bowl cooling system to allow football to be played all year round.

MASQ developed the lighting concept to focus the stadium as the focal point and to enhance the architectural appeal of the site.

"The complex and curvature architecture with all the fluid and dynamic layering represents the sail of the dhow, a traditional Qatari fishing boat," said MASQ.

"This maritime influence is evident in the stadium's curved roof, which resembles the billowing sails of a ship."

A uniform lighting scheme was chosen, which involved directing projectors across the facade to focus on illuminating the building's exterior shell.

The projectors varied in size and were directed at various angles to enhance the building's curved form and "futuristic elegant design".

The lighting scheme also aimed to enhance the pedestrian pathways, horse riding and bicycle tracks, which wrap around the stadium.

For the pathways and various sports tracks, customised concrete lighting fixtures were developed to ensure safety but "blend into the surroundings".

"The lighting of the facade and landscape had to take into consideration all these elements and provide lighting that is coherent with the original architectural concept," said MASQ.

"This feature ensures that users can navigate the areas with ease and are guided in an engaging atmosphere for athletes."

Soft ambient lighting across the landscape was added to illuminate the site's trees and shrubbery, ensuring a smooth transition between the stadium and its surroundings.

Here the studio kept the lighting levels below eye level to not cause distraction.

The concept for the scheme earned MASQ a LIT Award – a lighting industry award that recognises innovation in design.

MASQ specialises in architectural lighting design. The company was established in 1998 and has offices based in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon.

To view more of MASQ's projects, visit its website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for MASQ as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.