As construction of the Lusail International Stadium continues, Qatar, the country set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is also beginning to address the impending question of crowd accommodation. The massive number of fans traveling to the Middle East to enjoy the soccer competition will need a place to stay. With the growing issue of climate change and the environmental toll of tourism in mind, sustainability is paramount.
Finnish company Admares has designed a series of “floating” hotels that will sit on the surface of the water just 15 minutes from the new stadium. While the 16 structures will be designed to float off the coast of Qetaifan Island North in the Persian Gulf, the buildings will have the capacity to be reused and moved to another coastal location for further events. The island located off Lusail City spans over 4.5 million square feet and will serve as the main activities and tourism hub for the 2022 World Cup.
Each building will be four stories high and measure 236 feet by 52 feet. The structures will each contain 101 guest rooms, a restaurant and a lounge bar. Unlike other buoyant accommodations, the floating hotels will require significantly lower water depth to operate and no major ports, since the draft is much smaller than a cruise ship. Once the Word Cup has ended and the fans have gone home, the buildings can be reused at any coastal location with at least 13 feet of water.
The modular hotels are certainly on par with the overall architectural theme of the 2022 World Cup. The Qatar stadium will feature an efficient energy-saving system with solar canopies built to control the temperature and produce energy for the stadium and surrounding buildings. Like the hotels, the stadium is anticipated to be reused as well. The seats are to be removed, and the space will be utilized as a community center complete with shopping and dining, as well as athletic, education, and health facilities.