Qatar unveils World Cup's 1st reusable stadium

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure required to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, unveiled yesterday the seventh stadium design – Ras Abu Aboud Stadium – in an online digital media campaign.The first ever demountable and reusable FIFA World Cup stadium is to host matches up to the quarterfinal stages in 2022. The venue champions a bold and pioneering design concept based on shipping containers, removable seats and other steel modular building blocks that will come together to form an elegant curved square form venue.It was envisioned by Spanish architecture firm Fenwick Iribarren Architects (FI-A), who are leaders in football stadium design and are behind some of the boldest venue designs in the region and the world including Qatar Foundation stadium, the Casablanca Football Stadium in Morocco, Valencia CF’s new football stadium in Spain, the new Norwegian National Stadium in Norway, and more.In a first in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the stadium will be completely modular and get dismantled after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Its building blocks will be repurposed post tournament and reused for the construction of several sporting or non-sporting venues across Qatar, helping widen access to cultural and sporting events across the country and supporting the fulfilment of the SC’s mission to ensure the tournament leaves a lasting legacy for the local community.Artist's illustration of a match in progress at the proposed Ras Abu Aboud Stadium

Artist's illustration of a bird's-eye view of the proposed Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, Doha Corniche and downtown West Bay area.The design’s use of modular elements also means that construction of the stadium will use significantly fewer materials, result in less waste, a reduced construction carbon footprint as well as a reduced construction duration that will allow for the completion of the project in three years. Through adopting such a design approach where sustainability is a key element, the stadium will receive a four-star Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) certification.Commenting on the launch of the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium design, SC secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi said: “Innovation has always been a central element of our plans to deliver a historic FIFA World Cup that leaves a lasting legacy for Qatar and the world, and there is no better example of this than the design of the Ras Abu Aboud stadium. The distinct and modular design of the venue means that it will be the first ever demountable FIFA World Cup stadium, demonstrating another one of the ways in which the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is helping shape the future editions of the tournament”.Federico Addiechi, FIFAtarget="_blank"'>