Doha, Qatar
Al Thumama Stadium, created by Ibrahim Mohammed Jaidah and his design team at IBRAHIM JAIDAH Architects & Engineers is a dynamic and imaginative shaped sports venue that celebrates local culture and traditions just as much as it does a new era for stadium design.
Jaidah drew its design inspiration from the gahfiya, the traditional headwear in Qatar.
The façade is covered with nearly 25,000 square meters of perforated panels, is snow-white and rich in lace-like ornaments.
Its white cladding mimics the complex design of the gahfiya, a headpiece worn by young boys before they reach adulthood, at which point ghutras are added atop the gahfiya.
The venue has a very clean and expressive form, and it is built on the plan of a perfect circle (240 m in diameter) despite the football layout.
The arena’s roof is a cable structure covered with a white membrane and takes up a total of approx. 35,000 square meters; the height of the stadium is 43 meters.
The auditorium is divided into two levels – separated by a strip of business boxes – and has 44,400 seats.
From an engineering point of view, the most interesting aspect of the stadium is the cooling system (Advanced Cooling Tech), which allows the interior to be kept at a temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius during the games.
In total, 54 air treatment units were installed in the arena.
The above-mentioned solution also improves air quality in various areas located at the back of the stadium.
Interestingly, the cooling system uses energy from solar radiation processing.
After the 2022 World Cup, the stadium’s capacity will be reduced to 20,000 seats as a result of the dismantling of the upper tier.
A sports clinic and a 60-room boutique hotel will be built on the site along with a landscaped leisure area.
Project: Al Thumama Stadium
Architects: Ibrahim Jaidah Architects & Engineers
Lead Architect: Ibrahim Mohammed Jaidah
Client: Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy
Photographers: IBRAHIM JAIDAH Architects & Engineers
