The Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, designed by Qatari Architect Ibrahim M Jaidah, based on a gahfiya cap, was unveiled ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
The 40,000-seater capacity stadium located in south of Doha, is the sixth tournament-ready venue to be completed ahead of the World Cup, and is due to be held in Qatar next year.
The stadium has a distinctive circular shape, and is named Al Thumama Stadium after a locally found tree.
The stadium was designed by Jaidah, the Chief architect of Arab Engineering Bureau, to look like gahfiya (the traditionally woven head cap worn by men in Middle East).
The head-cap shaped canopy will also serve as a shade for players and spectators, and forms part of stadium’s cooling strategy. The large pitch-side nozzles will pump in cooled air onto the pitch.
Like various venues at the World Cup, which will be played in November and December, Al Thumama Stadium will be artificially cooled.
At this stadium, the air is cooled by using fans powered by solar energy, and then it is released into the venue through the large pitch-side nozzles and grills in the stand.
Once the World Cup is over, the capacity of the stadium would be reduced to 20,000 seats by removing the upper stands. Instead, a boutique hotel will be built with 60 rooms, directly facing the pitch.
Other stadiums that will host the games during the World Cup include Al Wakrah Stadium designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, Education City Stadium designed by Pattern Design and Fenwick-Iribarrn Architects.
