All photos courtesy of SCDL
The seats have been installed, the pitch has been laid and a roof canopy is being fitted onto what will soon be Qatar’s first completed stadium for the 2022 World Cup.
A series of “sneak peek” photographs published by organizers this week show the latest progress on the redevelopment of Khalifa International stadium in Al Waab.
The pictures show contractors putting the finishing touches on the stadium, which will host matches up to the quarter-finals.
The 40,000 seats are in – with many still under protective wrapping – and 7,800 square meters of turf for the pitch were laid last month.
SCDL
Progress at Khalifa stadium
The completion date of the venue has now been pushed to the end of June, according to the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy (SCDL).
This is around six months later than the original deadline of December 2016.
Khalifa stadium was first built more than 40 years ago and opened in 1976. It was then extensively refurbished to host the Asian Games in 2006.
SCDL
Rendering of Khalifa Stadium
It is now once again being remodeled and modernized for the World Cup, with its arches redesigned and canopies installed to provide some shade for spectators. It will also have a cooling system for players and fans.
A walkway will connect to a new 3-2-1 Olympic and Sports Museum, which is also under construction.
Confirmed venues
Qatar is readying eight stadiums for the 2022 World Cup.
So far, designs have been released and construction work is under way on five of these venues. In addition to Khalifa International, they include Al Bayt Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Education City and Al Wakrah.
Al Khor and Al Wakrah are expected to be completed next, by the end of 2018, according to the SCDL.
Al Rayyan stadium will follow in March 2019 and the Qatar Foundation venue is slated for a late 2019 completion.
This week, the SCDL also provided updates on the Al Khor stadium in a new video.
It shows that nearly half of the stadium structure is now in place. Additionally, concrete modular seating structures for the 60,000-capacity venue have been installed.
Meanwhile, work is underway on the second players’ tunnel, according to the short film.
In design
The sites of the three other stadiums have been confirmed, and will be in Al Thumama, Ras Abu Aboud and at Lusail city.
However, these designs have yet to be made public.
SCDL
Al Thumama stadium site
Last week, a Seoul-based firm announced that it won a $16.2 million contract to design the $342.5 million Al Thumama venue, situated between E- and F-Ring Roads.
Construction of the stadium will be led by a joint venture of Qatar’s Al Jaber Engineering and Turkish firm Tekfen Construction.
Meanwhile, the Lusail venue will be the showpiece for the games. It will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as matches throughout the tournament and the World Cup final.
A joint venture between Qatari firm HBK Contracting Co. (HBK) and China Railway Construction Corp. (CRCC) is responsible for leading the build of the stadium.
SCDL
Construction at Lusail stadium site
British architectural firm Fosters + Partners has been working on the design of the venue, which organizers previously said was completed last year.
This was supposed to be revealed early this year, but is so far still under wraps.
Finally, the Ras Abu Aboud stadium will be at the center of a new waterfront development between Hamad International Airport and the Doha Port.
SCDL
View from the upcoming Ras Abu Aboud stadium
Organizers are planning to build a new “urban neighborhood” on the 111-acre site next to the Doha Marriott Hotel.
Architecture firm Populous is the design consultant for the 40,000-seater venue, which will hold matches up until the quarter-finals.
The SCDL previously said it planned to be “managing eight live construction sites by mid-2017,” with construction on them finished by 2020.
