As part of their bid to host the 2018 World Cup, Doha, Qatar’s capital city, is planning to build the world’s first underground stadium.
Why? Well, besides being an international first, part of the reason for building a stadium underground is to help control the temperature by allowing for an open-air, air-conditioned system.
Another cool aspect about the stadium is that the designers, MZ & Partners Architects, have foregone traditional stadium lighting and instead, have decided to incorporate the lighting into the surrounding architecture.
The downside? It will only hold about 11,000 spectators.
What's Driving This Trend
- Underground Architecture
- There is a growing trend in designing and building underground structures such as stadiums to address limitations of available space and extreme weather conditions.
- Sustainable Temperature Control Systems
- Incorporating innovative temperature control systems such as open-air air-conditioning in underground structures can disrupt traditional heating and cooling methods in the construction industry.
- Integrated Lighting Designs
- Designing integrated lighting into surrounding architecture in place of traditional lighting methods can inspire transformations in the way lighting is used in public spaces.
Who This Affects Most
- Construction
- The construction industry can explore underground architecture as a new frontier to address space and environmental limitations of traditional building practices.
- HVAC Systems
- The HVAC industry can explore innovative temperature control systems, such as open-air air-conditioning, to address demand for new, sustainable solutions to traditional heating and cooling systems.
- Architecture and Lighting Design
- Architects and lighting design professionals have an opportunity to develop integrated lighting designs that transform the way lighting is used in public spaces and stadium architecture.
