Qatar’s Al Wakrah stadium now has roof support
Qatar’s upcoming Al Wakrah stadium came a major step closer to completion this week with the installation of two enormous pillars to support the venue’s retracting roof.
The pillars — which look like huge hockey sticks — weigh 540 tonnes each and were installed using two 600-tonne cranes.
Construction on the 40,000-seater stadium is expected to be completed next year.
When done, it will have a retractable steel roof that takes about a half hour to close with the help of steel wires.
The roof, which is inspired by the hull of a dhow, will provide shade and help keep the stadium cool during football matches.
Zaha Hadid’s legacy
The stadium will serve as the venue for the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. It was designed by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.
Hadid’s death last year only increases the importance of completing the stadium, said the venue’s project manager.
In a statement this week, Thani Al Zarraa added:
“The fact that the design of this stadium will bring (her) vision from the paper into structural form is in the back of everyone’s mind.”
“It is both a privilege and a challenge to be working on such a unique project.”
According to Al Zarraa, construction on the site is still running to schedule. The completion date is sometime in the final quarter of next year.
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