The golden bowl-shaped Lusail Stadium in Lusail City is the centrepiece venue of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 being hosted by the State of Qatar. Eight new stadiums have been added to the landscape as part of the host country’s efforts to host the prestigious event.

Designed by Foster + Partners, Lusail Stadium is the largest stadium in Qatar with the world-class football facility built to accommodate about 80,000 spectators. Located north of the capital city of Doha in the heart of the new city, the stadium is part of an urban vision along with the Lusail Towers and Plaza. When complete, Lusail City will be home to almost half a million people.

Officially opened on 9 September 2022 with the Lusail Super Cup final, the stadium will host a total of 10 matches during the World Cup including the final.

“It was a delight to be at the game and see the stadium nearly filled with spectators for the first time,” Foster + Partners head of studio Luke Fox said. “Our ambition was to create a striking yet simple form that reflects the building’s function, responds to the climate of Qatar, and enhances the theatre of the event.”

Elaborating on the design, Fox said, “The arrival experience is intuitive and immersive. Spectators enter the vessel between two tiers of seating that have been intentionally compressed to heighten the sense of drama as they emerge into the generous seating bowl flooded with natural light.”

The design of Lusail Stadium is informed by the climatic environment and cultural heritage of Qatar. According to the studio, the seating bowl is expressed externally as a burnished golden vessel, which sparkles against the sunlight. Triangular openings on the facade visually reinforce the bowl’s structural diagrid and form a perforated screen to provide shade and filter dappled light onto the internal concourses.

Sustainability features include high-performance facades and an innovative roof design to reduce overall energy consumption; and outdoor cooling technologies to maximise comfort within the open-air stadium. Lusail Stadium has achieved a five-star rating under the Global Sustainability Assessment System.

Looking to create an immersive atmosphere for everyone, the stadium allows access to spectators via a broad podium, giving them a grand welcome as they approach the gates. The ‘contained vessel’ is topped by a 307-metre-diameter ‘spokewheel’ cable net roof, one of the world’s largest tensile cable net roof in a stadium, bringing environmental comfort while also unifying the entire stadium under a single envelope. The outer compression ring is connected to a central tension ring by a complex cable system, creating a wide-expanse roof without the need for supporting columns. The muted sand-coloured palette offers a calm backdrop to the vibrancy and energy of spectators in team colours from all over the world.

Foster + Partners senior partner Angus Campbell added: “Using the experience of redesigning Wembley Stadium with its now iconic arch, we are incredibly proud to have created a unique and instantly recognisable symbol for Qatar as host of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, including the final in Lusail. Together with our joint venture partner, Arup and sports specialist Populous, we believe the stadium will be a truly memorable venue for this year’s final and many other international events in the future.”

Photographs: Nigel Young (Source: Foster + Partners)

Branko Miletic

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