Hawalii, Kuwait
The complex of the Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium and Al Qadsia Sporting Club by Dar Gulf Consult for Engineering Consultancy and Populous for the Public Authority of Sports on behalf of Al Qadsia Sporting Club replaces the former stadium on the same site with a new stadium that captures the architectural identity of Kuwait.
The new Stadium is a multi-use sports precinct for Hawally, Kuwait, including designs for a 30,000-seat stadium to replace the existing 22,000-seat Stadium as the home ground for one of Kuwait’s most popular football teams.
The wider masterplan includes designs for a 400m outdoor running track to the south of the stadium, as well as four training pitches and two tennis courts.
Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium and Al Qadsia Sporting Club has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The new stadium will meet FIFA and UEFA Category 4 stadium requirements and will, therefore, be eligible to host matches in football’s most prestigious tournaments.
It will support the long-term goals of the New Kuwait 2035 Development Vision, which aims to nurture and develop socio-economic, cultural, and environmental growth in the country while upgrading the infrastructure and ensuring social engagement.
The form of the stadium seeks to capture the architectural identity of Kuwait in its simplicity, with a corrugated canopy that melds seamlessly with the stadium structure to create a series of elegant archways that sweep around the building, opening the spectator concourse to the surrounding landscaped podium.
The seating bowl is designed to generate an exciting atmosphere by bringing spectators as close to the action on the pitch as possible.
It is based on a two-tier configuration for the North, South, and East stands, while the West Stand features an additional mid-tier.
This fully enclosed and air-conditioned section is fitted-out to the highest standards for the Kuwait Royal Family.
There will be three new fan plazas located around the stadium which, by means of hard and soft landscaping, will be an attraction to the public as a new space to meet up on non-match days, as well as a gathering place for spectators on match days.
The stadium’s colonnade superstructure is designed in a modular manner to allow for ease of erection.
It consists of four structural bay types that spring up from the podium level, curving over the rear of the bowl and tapering to the oculus.
The stadium structure is designed completely independently of the seating bowl to enhance the speed of construction.
The overall sustainability goal of the Stadium, which targets LEED silver standards, is to deliver a new venue on the site of the Club’s existing stadium.
This is a more sustainable solution when compared to the option of relocating to a new site.
Existing infrastructure could be re-used, established public transportation travel patterns remain undisturbed, and an existing urban site re-used.
The stadium’s multi-use credentials will offset the embodied energy of the building through frequency of use, further contributing to the environmental sustainability of the development.
Project: Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium Al Qadsia Sporting Club
Architects: Dar Gulf Consult for Engineering Consultancy
Associate Architects: Populous
Client: Public Authority of Sports on behalf of Al Qadsia Sporting Club
Images Courtesy of Populous
