In a seemingly surrealistic venture, Qatar is taking on an ambitious £27BN project to build the coastal city of Lusail, set to be the 2022 World Cup’s core. Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company seeks to become the most internationally renowned company in real estate investment by creating the modern and ambitious city.
In the wake of Qatar’s highly controversial victory in hosting the 2022 World Cup, the host city is set to be constructed entirely from scratch and will serve as the central point for the competition. Lusail will measure 38 square miles, incorporate four exclusive islands, and is set to accommodate a total of 450,000 people once it is fully constructed.
The ultramodern city will provide for visitors, as well as residents, with a number of leisure facilities and 22 different hotels. Other attractions will include two golf courses, two marinas and a 241-acre ‘Entertainment City’ that will feature a zoo and an amusement park. An enormous mall will also be amongst the attractions and is, according to its designers, “inspired by the erosive forms created when land and water met".
Lusail Iconic Stadium
Tourists to Lusail will be able to reach the city by yacht or boat. Public transport networks will feature a light-rail network, a water-taxi system and a system of underground tunnels for pedestrians.
Lusail Iconic Stadium will seat 86,000 spectators and will be the epicentre of the 2022 World Cup ceremony and final. In compliance with Fifa expectations the stadium is planned to be environmentally friendly, including a solar-powered cooling system to protect players and fans from the heat. Construction of the stadium begins in 2015.
The ongoing development of the city, which is expected to be completed by 2019, follows calls for the World Cup to be hosted elsewhere. However, it is unlikely that any change in host country will reduce the large scale of plans for Lusail.
(Written by Megan Chambers)