6Zaha Hadid Architects have been selected to design a new stadium that will host football matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar. The London-based practice will work with engineering and construction specialist AECOM to deliver the scheme in the host city of Al Wakrah, located 12 miles from Doha.
The stadium, whose construction is to start immediately, will hold 45,000 fans during the World Cup but its capacity (following a planned legacy programme) will be reduced to 20,000 once the event is completed. The new building is expected to incorporate cooling technology to deal with the elevated Qatari summer temperatures that can exceed 50C.
In October 2010, another British architectural firm, Foster + Partners, was selected to design the 86,250-seat Lusail Iconic Stadium in Doha, which will be used to stage the 2022 World Cup’s opening ceremony, group games and final match.
