Gallery: Qatar World Cup Stadiums Promise Eco-Friendly Soccer Utopia
01sports-city-stadium
FIFA's decision to pick [Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup](http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-12-02-usa-2022-world-cup-bid-qatar-russia-2018_N.htm) has been [swirling in controversy](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/grant_wahl/12/02/3thoughts.wcbid/index.html) since the choice was made last week. The answer to whether Qatar is the better option instead of the runner-up United States won't be known until the tournament rolls around 12 years from now, but what we know is that Qatar has an ambitious plan, particularly with its plethora of planned stadiums. __Above:__ Sports City Stadium ------------------- Sports City Stadium, located along the Persian Gulf in the eastern coastal city of Doha, should be the most versatile of the 12 stadiums to be built in Qatar's proposed $57 billion plan. The stadium's primary components are all retractable — its roof, its seats, even its field. Dan Meis, an architect with the Kansas City architecture firm [Populous](http://portfolio.populous.com/contact/kansascity.html), led the stadium's design. He explained that he wanted the venue to have a lasting effect. "Often countries will build stadiums for the events, and they have difficulty utilizing the building afterwards," Meis told Wired.com, citing Beijing's 2008 Olympic [Bird's Nest](http://en.beijing2008.cn/99/29/column212042999.shtml) as an example. His vision to incorporate versatility meshed perfectly with a key element of Arabian culture. Much of the structure's architectural inspiration is drawn from a Bedouin tent, traditionally used by the Arab ethnic group. The tents have a simple architectural design which enables them to adapt to their environment. "The notion of these tents that were flexible and could grow, depending on the number of people utilizing them, was really interesting," Meis said. The partially retractable roof, which will open and close in 15 to 20 minutes, has a design element that sets it apart from others: It will be large enough to hold people *within* it. Meis saw an opening within the depth of the trusses that support the roof where people could walk around and look down onto the field. "That's something I played around with in other stadiums but had never built," Meis said. It will add to the 47,560-seat occupancy of the stadium, which can be adjusted downward for concerts, exhibitions, and other non-soccer events. Meis said the technology to adjust seating draws on [Saitama Stadium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saitama_Stadium) in Japan. Large seating blocks move on trucks, similar to train tracks. They can slide back and be moved elsewhere to open up space. In that regard, they're similar to the retractable field, which can be moved to an adjacent site. It's similar to what's used at [University of Phoenix Stadium](http://www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/index.php?page=stadium_facts§ion=statistics) in Glendale, Arizona, where the field is moved off-site to accommodate other events. There will also be an in-stadium cooling system to keep players and spectators from overheating in a climate where temperatures surpass 100 degrees. Every venue is expected to take part in a countrywide zero-carbon-emissions plan. An off-site solar farm will transfer energy to a city grid. Solar collectors will use the sun's power to heat up water, which will then be transported to an on-site water storage tank, which will keep the water's high temperature. When the venue needs to use its cooling system, the hot water will run through an absorption chiller that will chill the water and send it into another tank which will pump 64-degree air at the ankle and neck level in each row of seats. The air will be distributed throughout the stadium and ultimately produce an 80-degree temperature near the soccer pitch. That cooling system will combine with the stadium's retractable roof, whose reach will extend beyond the pitch to plazas outside the venue to create an oasis-like feel in the desert. And in that way, Qatar plans to mesmerize the world in 12 years by showing how the world's most popular sport can be played in one of the globe's hottest climates. *Read on for more descriptions and photos from Qatar's successful World Cup bid.* *Image courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums).*
02lusail-iconic-stadium
Lusail Iconic Stadium --------------------- The new Lusail Iconic Stadium, with a capacity of 86,250, will host the opening and final matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Located in Lusail City, the stadium takes its inspiration from the sail of a traditional dhow boat and is surrounded by water. After the FIFA World Cup, the stadium will be used to host other spectacular sporting and cultural events. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
03doha-port-stadium
Doha Port Stadium ----------------- The new Doha Port Stadium will be a completely modular stadium with 44,950 seats. The stadium, which will sit on an artificial peninsula in the gulf, is designed to evoke its marine setting. Water from the gulf will run over its outer facade, aiding in the cooling process and adding to its visual allure. Fans will have the option of arriving on a water taxi or ferry. After the FIFA World Cup, the whole stadium will be disassembled and the seats sent to developing countries to further their football development. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
04education-city-stadium
Education City Stadium ---------------------- Education City Stadium takes the form of a jagged diamond, glittering by day and glowing by night. The 45,350-seat stadium will be located in the midst of several university campuses at Education City, easily accessible for fans both in Qatar and in neighboring Bahrain, which will be only 51 minutes away from the stadium by high-speed rail. Following the FIFA World Cup, the stadium will retain 25,000 seats for use by university athletic teams. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
05umm-slal-stadium
Umm Slal Stadium ---------------- Umm Slal Stadium, located in the vicinity of one of Qatar's most historically important forts, will have 45,120 seats. The design is a modern interpretation of traditional Arab forts, like the one in nearby Umm Slal Mohammed. After the FIFA World Cup, seating capacity will be reduced to 25,500. The stadium will be used by Umm Slal F.C. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
06qatar-university-stadium
Qatar University Stadium ------------------------ Replacing an existing track-and-field stadium on Qatar University's campus, Qatar University Stadium will have 43,520 seats. The stadium's gold facade blends traditional Arabic geometric patterns with free-form open surfaces, conjuring both past and future. The stadium will be used by student athletes following the FIFA World Cup, with a seating capacity of 23,500. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
07qatar7
Al-Gharafa Stadium ------------------ The existing 21,175-capacity Al-Gharafa stadium will be expanded to 44,740 seats using modular elements forming an upper tier. The facade will be made up of ribbons representing the nations that qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and will symbolize football and the mutual friendship, tolerance and respect that the tournament represents. The stadium will be downscaled to its existing capacity after the tournament ends. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
08al-khor-stadium
Al-Khor Stadium --------------- Al-Khor is a brand new 45,330-capacity stadium with a stunning seashell motif and a flexible roof. The permanent lower tier seats 25,500, and the modular upper tier seats 19,830. The stadium offers spectators a stunning view of the Arabian Gulf \[more commonly known as the Persian Gulf\] from their seats and will be located in a sports-and-recreation zone. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
09al-rayyan-stadium
Al-Rayyan Stadium ----------------- The existing Al-Rayyan Stadium with a seating capacity of 21,282 will be expanded to 44,740 seats using modular elements to form an upper tier. The stadium is designed with a special "media membrane" facade that acts as a screen for projecting news, updates and current matches. The stadium will be downsized to its current capacity after the tournament. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
10al-wakrah-stadium
Al-Wakrah Stadium ----------------- Al-Wakrah is one of Qatar's oldest cities, with a long history of commercial fishing and pearl diving. Al-Wakrah stadium, with a capacity of 45,120, takes its cues from the sea that has played such an important role in the city's history. After the FIFA World Cup, the stadium's capacity will be reduced to 25,500 seats. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
11al-shamal-stadium
Al-Shamal Stadium ----------------- Al-Shamal stadium will have a capacity of 45,120, with a permanent lower tier of 25,500 seats and a modular upper tier of 19,620 seats. The stadium's shape is derived from the "dhow" fishing boat used in the gulf. Spectators are expected to arrive from the Doha Expressway, water taxis, the Bahrain-Qatar Friendship Bridge and the new metrorail. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
12khalifa-international-stadium
Khalifa International Stadium ----------------------------- Redesigned for Qatar's successful hosting of the 2006 Asian Games, Khalifa International Stadium's current capacity of 50,000 will be expanded to 68,030 for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The stadium, which includes sweeping arcs and partially covered stands, is the centerpiece of Aspire Zone, a sports complex that includes the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital and many other sporting venues. *Image and text courtesy [Qatar 2022](http://www.qatar2022bid.com/stadiums)*.
