‘Lusail Stadium expresses an image of creativity and innovation’

Lusail Stadium – the venue for the FIFA World Cup final on December 18 – will provide an immersive atmosphere for both players and fans, according to an architect involved in the project. Luke Fox, senior executive partner and head of Studio at Foster + Partners, the British firm which provided the inspiration for the stadium’s design, spoke to qatar2022. qa about the stadium’s architectural journey.

Fox, who has been involved with the Lusail Stadium project from the start through to the concept stages, discusses how the 80,000-capacity venue will provide an unforgettable experience during the tournament, while playing a critical role in the local community long after the FIFA World Cup.   How did Foster + Partners get involved in the Lusail Stadium project? In 2009, we were invited to take part in a design competition to create a venue for a future World Cup tournament in Qatar. The design we submitted eventually formed the centrepiece of the winning bid one year later.

Once it was confirmed that Qatar would host the World Cup, we entered and won a second competition to redesign the stadium in 2013 along with Arup as the engineers and Populous as the bowl geometry designers. The current stadium reflects our design intent. Tell us a bit about the design process.

What were your main objectives? Lusail Stadium is the centrepiece venue for Qatar 2022, so our task was to create a venue with state-of-the-art facilities that could provide an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. The starting point for our design was to create an intimate and immersive atmosphere for both players and fans, by creating a dynamic relationship between the pitch and the seating. As the stadium was being built in advance of the surrounding Lusail City, the ambition was to produce a singular, simple form that would respond to the climate of Qatar.

The principles of sustainable design were also integral to the project, with our target being a five-star rating from GSAS (the Global Sustainability Assessment System). What has been the most exciting part of this process? Designing the stadium for the World Cup final is a great responsibility that motivated us to create a unique venue. We are also really looking forward to seeing fans in the stadium, bringing the space to life.

What were the biggest challenges? The biggest challenge was creating a stadium that could host a major sporting event in the local environment. We worked closely with our engineers to model and test the stadium to work throughout the year, while minimising energy consumption. The stadium’s façade features triangular openings that visually reinforce the bowl’s structural diagrid, and form a perforated screen to provide shade and filter dappled light on to the internal concourses.

This helps reduce the stadium’s energy consumption, while allowing natural ventilation to the upper concourses. Now that the stadium is complete, how would you describe it? A geometrically-elegant stadium that is built for its climate. We hope that the seating bowl will delight fans and players alike.

The new stadium will be an enduring symbol for the legacy of the 2022 World Cup. Also, the roof is one of the largest tensile, cable-net stadium roofs anywhere in the world. The 307m diameter ‘spoke-wheel’ roof creates a striking pattern that brings environmental comfort while also unifying the entire stadium under a single envelope.

The roof’s design allows enough light in for pitch growth, while providing shade to reduce the need for air-conditioning. How will the stadium play a role in the surrounding community? Located at the end of a grand boulevard that leads from the stadium to the coast, the stadium is part of a wider urban vision for Lusail City. At night, the stadium is lit up, emitting a warm glow and creating a beacon for the city.

The stadium has also been designed to allow for maximum flexibility for post-tournament uses. This includes the stadium’s seating bowl which can accommodate a wide range of mixed-uses after the tournament. This will hopefully bring social, commercial, cultural and health benefits to Lusail City after the World Cup ends.

How does it feel to have worked on a FIFA World Cup final venue? We are incredibly proud to have worked on this monumental project in Qatar. With an estimated global audience of over 3bn viewers, the World Cup final presents a unique opportunity to express an image of creativity and innovation, rooted in a sense of place. We hope the people of Qatar, the players and global visitors will have a truly memorable experience, due to the highly atmospheric, immersive and intimate nature of the stadium bowl.

We are delighted to have played a part in realising the host nation’s vision, to deliver a world-class tournament venue in such a unique setting.    .