Introduction to Doha Arena for the 2022 World Cup

http://www.sina.com.cn December 13, 2010 08:18 Sina Technology

Sina Technology News, December 13th Beijing Time: FIFA has finally made a decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which has sparked controversy once announced. The ideal choice between Qatar and the second ranked United States in terms of votes will only be determined when the World Cup begins in 12 years. What we now know is that Qatar has formulated an ambitious plan, with the construction of a sports stadium being particularly noteworthy.

Sports City Stadium

The Sports City Stadium is located on the east coast of Doha, along the Persian Gulf coast. For the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has decided to invest $57 billion to build 12 sports stadiums, with the Sports City Stadium being the most functional one. The main facilities of this stadium are all extendable, including the roof, seats, and lawn.

Dan Metz, an architect at Populous, a Kansas City architectural firm, is responsible for the design of the Sports City Stadium. Metz expressed hope that this stadium can continue to play an important role after the World Cup. In an interview with the website of Wired magazine, he pointed out, "In order to host sports events, host countries often have to build new stadiums, but they encounter difficulties in utilizing them after the games.

According to his vision, the sports city will be a multifunctional sports stadium that embodies important cultural elements of the Arab world. The main inspiration for the structure of the sports stadium comes from the Bedouin tents, which are the traditional dwellings of Arabs. This type of tent is relatively simple in design and can adapt to the surrounding environment. Metz said, "This tent is very flexible and can be adjusted in size according to the number of residents, which is very interesting." The roof of the Sports City Stadium can be extended and closed, taking 15 to 20 minutes, and the design elements used make this stadium different from other stadiums. The truss structure designed by Metz to support the roof is very unique. He said, "When designing other sports stadiums, I have also had ideas like Sports City, but I have never put them into practice.

This stadium will be equipped with 47560 seats that can be adjusted downwards to meet the needs of holding concerts, exhibitions, and other non sports activities. Metz stated that this seat adjustment technology draws on the experience of the Saitama Stadium in Japan. The seat can move on a roller similar to a train track. They can slide backwards and move anywhere to make room. The retractable lawn also adopts a similar design and can be moved to nearby areas. This is similar to the approach taken at the Phoenix University Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, USA. The lawn of Phoenix University Stadium can be moved out of the venue to make room for other events.

Qatar has a hot climate with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to protect the audience from the heat, a cooling system will be installed inside the stadium. All sports stadiums will be included in Qatar's national zero carbon emissions plan. A solar field outside the stadium is responsible for delivering electricity to the city's power grid. The solar collector uses solar energy to heat water, and the hot water is then transported to the on-site water storage facility, which is responsible for maintaining the water temperature.

When a cooling system is required, hot water will flow through an absorption chiller, which is responsible for cooling the water while delivering it to another water storage facility. The water storage facility is responsible for delivering 64 degrees Fahrenheit air to the ankles and necks of the audience in each row of seats. These air will eventually fill the entire stadium, and the temperature near the stadium can drop to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooling system will be integrated with the retractable roof of the stadium. During the competition, the roof will extend to both sides, all the way to the square outside, giving people a feeling like a desert oasis. Qatar hopes to attract the attention of the world through such a stadium design. They want to prove with facts that Qatar, as one of the hottest regions on Earth, is also suitable for hosting the World Cup, the most popular event in the world.

The following documents are available for download:

UK CIBSE Journal Coverage of Qatar Statium