The engineering legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Al Janoub stadium

Abstract

Al Janoub was the first new-build stadium designed for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This paper describes the journey of the engineering design of the 40 000 seat stadium, from the concept and detailed design development stages led by AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects, through to the design and build contract on site. An architectural jewel located in Al Wakrah, just south of the city of Doha, the stadium was a world-first, using state-of-the-art computational analysis and physical modelling to create a safe, cooled environment that satisfies FIFA's requirements for both player and spectator comfort in the extreme temperatures of the region. A sustainable post-tournament legacy was also a key factor of the design, allowing it to be reduced to a 20 000-capacity stadium for the local football club and community. The task of integrating the stadium's stringent performance requirements on this path-finder project, including extensive scientific research and development, was a challenge that was overcome through close collaboration between the design team and the Supreme Committee's subject matter experts. The project's success as a test-bed helped it to set the standard for other stadia as part of the overall FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 programme.