From 6 to 10 July 2016, Amsterdam's venerable Olympic Stadium will host the 23rd European Athletics Championships – the first time the event has been held in the Netherlands.

Around 1,300 athletes from 50 countries will be there for the launch. As this international sports meeting will be held immediately before the Olympic Games in Rio, the programme has been reduced from the usual 47 disciplines to just 42. The marathons and the walking races will not take place.

The running track was given a new synthetic surface from Polytan in June 2015 in order to prepare the best possible surface for peak performances by all the other track and field athletes. The premium Polytan PUR coating in brick red – a standard Polytan colour – was chosen.

The surface in Amsterdam is 17 mm thick and complies with the requirements of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), making it suitable for international competitions with officially recognised personal bests and records. 

The first "litmus test" for the new synthetic surface from Polytan was the national Dutch Athletics Championships in July 2015 – immediately after its installation – and the important "IAAF Class 1" certification of the stadium. 

The facility is unusual in that the water jump for the steeplechase is the outside of the running track. This means that more events can be held simultaneously than is normally the case. 

Gold medal for sports architecture

Now a listed monument, the stadium was built in the Stadionbuurt district of Amsterdam for the Summer Olympics in 1928. It was designed by the Dutch architect Jan Wils, who was awarded a gold medal for the building in the art competition held as part of the Games. 

Historically speaking, the stadium belongs to the "Amsterdam School" of architecture, the famous Dutch classic Modern style, which is also described as Brick Expressionism. 

The competition arena has a closed brick facade on the outside that looks neither dark nor heavy in spite of its large size. This is down to the varied division of the external envelope – a characteristic feature of this architectural style. 

In contrast to the facade, the only thing visible inside the stadium is the reinforced concrete frame in the style of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, which was popular at the time. 

A narrow tower on which the first ever Olympic flame was set alight marks the main entrance. It was and still is the ground's emblem. 

Restoration to glory

The stadium was heavily used in the decades following the Olympic Games – it was the home ground of the well-known football club Ajax Amsterdam for a long time, for instance. It deteriorated visibly during the 1990s, however, until expensive renovations breathed new life into it from 1996 onwards. 

The stadium was restored as far as possible to its original condition, with the demolition of a grandstand extension dating back to 1937. Numerous sporting and cultural events are held there now and it is the base of Amsterdam athletics club Phanos.

Polytan PUR – the faster surface

By opting for the Polytan PUR sports surface, the organisers in Amsterdam decided on a water-impermeable, extremely durable solid synthetic surface consisting of a continuous blend of PUR and elastic rubber granules all the way from the base to the top layer. Polytan employees used the in-situ construction method to install it directly on site. 

Not only does the solid structure make the surface extremely durable, it also greatly enhances the tread elasticity of athletes and thus their acceleration. The track is significantly faster than conventional multi-layered synthetic surfaces. In addition, the top layer of the sports surface is interspersed with EPDM granules, which means that it is suitable for sports shoes with spikes. 

This article was contributed by Polytan. For more information visit www.polytan.com

The FIFA World Cup final will be played on a surface incorporating artificial grass for the first time ever, after Russia 2018 organisers selected an innovative surface called SISGRASS from SIS Pitches.

A surface of 95 per cent natural grass impregnated with more than 150 miles of specially developed synthetic yarn will be installed at Moscow’s historic Luzhniki Stadium. 

The pitch is scheduled to be ready in time for the Confederations Cup in May 2017.

SIS Pitches said its SISGRASS surface offers a safer, softer surface that protects players from injury, but with three times the playing time of natural grass alone. 

“It’s the first time a World Cup final has been played on anything but all-natural grass and it’s like a dream for us as a company and a community,” said SIS CEO George Mullan. 

“We have come so far to get this system to the pinnacle of world sport.”

The patented system was created after SIS Pitches approached Dutch engineers to design a ‘giant sewing machine on tracks’. This machine crawls across a pitch, implanting, or ‘stitching’, more than 240 million precise lengths of two-tone green synthetic yarn 180mm deep into the sub-surface.

“We didn’t want to simply improve on existing machinery. We chose a challenge to create the perfect hybrid pitch of natural and synthetic grass and start from scratch,” said Mr Mullan.

“It strengthens the structure of the natural grass, making it stronger and more resistant to damage which means more games can be played on a pitch. It also drains more effectively. For a busy tournament like the World Cup it is perfect.

“At the same time it is player-friendly. Our polyethylene construction actually gives it a softer feel, with more consistency and greater traction than natural grass alone. That reduces injury risk and the bounce and roll is always even, so the players love all these features,” adds Mr Mullan.

SIS Pitches says the durable surface is also visually indistinguishable from natural grass. 

“TV Companies also love it because the surface stays looking beautiful at all times,” said Ilyas Kobal, SIS division managing director.

“It was a long tender process but in the end our advantages meant even the local Russian companies could not match us.”

SIS Pitches had to convince the FA, FIFA and a host of international testing bodies that its new system worked better than alternatives. This involved stringent accelerated wear trials by rigorous independent testing consultants STRI. 

In these trials the new surface beat unreinforced grass for damage resistance, traction, grass cover and sheer strength, SIS said, claiming that the surface can be used three times longer in all weathers without damage and can be laid in just one week.

Construction work to transform Luzhniki Stadium is underway, due for completion in early 2017. A system of undersoil aeration, drainage, irrigation and heating is being installed to allow the pitch to be used all year.  A custom designed rootzone will be laid, stitched with yarn and then seeded to be ready in time for the Confederations Cup.

During the 2018 World Cup the stadium will host the opening and final matches. SIS Pitches has also signed a two-year deal to maintain the pitch after the World Cup, when Luzhniki will be the home of the Russian national team.

Since its launch in summer 2015, SISGRASS has also been selected for Chelsea, Besiktas, Hull City FC and the English FA’s centre of excellence at St. George’s Park.

The very best of design in Asia-Pacific will be showcased at the upcoming MAISON&OBJET ASIA (M&O ASIA) from 8 to 11 March 2016 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore. In line with the salon’s targeted positioning as a curated platform offering high-end interior design concepts and solutions to property developers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, interior designers, and architects, the works by the 2016 Designer of the Year and the Rising Asian Talents are a reflection of the region’s driving force behind the compelling design scene.

Similarly, the 2016 Interior Design and Lifestyle Summit will feature topics ranging from award-winning hospitality projects, art of living, design thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration to country-focus discussion. Designer of the Year 2016 From Paris, Singapore to Miami Beach, MAISON&OBJET has created and offered an inter-connected worldwide stage for designers to shine. Every year M&O will present four Designers of the Year: two for M&O PARIS (January and September), one for M&O ASIA, and one for M&O AMERICAS. Designers of the Year are renowned personalities in the world of design creation and innovation, architecture and interior architecture.

M&O ASIA proudly announces André Fu as the 2016 Designer of the Year. One of the world’s most sought-after architects/designers, Fu is the architect behind major luxury hotels such as The Upper House in Hong Kong and the Fullerton Bay Hotel in Singapore, as well as restaurants such as Kioku at the Four Seasons Seoul and Motif in Tokyo. One of his fortes is his ability to marry elements outside of architecture or interior design into a unified whole.

Fu is launching a new brand called André Fu Living (AFL), a lifestyle range that embodies his design philosophy within tangible objects. The first product in the AFL line is a scent called Fargesia, which he created in collaboration with cult perfumer Julian Bedel of Fueguia 1833 Patagonia. At M&O ASIA 2016, Fu will present his bathroom collection for Cooper & Graham. "M&O embraces the spirit of contemporary lifestyle and is a genuine celebration of modern artisanship," says Fu.

M&O ASIA’s Interior Design & Lifestyle Summit has been also extremely popular among the visitors, with a consistent turnout of around 2,800 attendees in each of the last two editions. Past speakers include Tom Dixon, Kelly Hoppen, Paola Navone, Neri&Hu, Kenneth Cobonpue, Joyce Wang and Kelly Cheng. The 2016 programme will put a strong focus on region-based speakers to provide the audience with an insider perspective on the intricate development of the Asia-Pacific market.

With this in mind, M&O ASIA 2016 has invited major design media including Architecture Media (Australia), Design Anthology (Hong Kong), FORM (Singapore) and Sina.com (China) to moderate talks and discussions with property developers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, interior designers, and architects. 

Sports infrastructure in Kazakhstan took a major step forward on Sunday with the opening of a new 12,000-seat ice hockey venue in the capital of Astana – which could be used to jointly host an IIHF World Championships.

Asked by news agency Kazinform about the possibility of Astana hosting a World Championships, International Ice Hockey Federation (IHHF) president Rene Fasel said “It would be great. Why not? 

“This is a great arena and it has the right atmosphere. 12 thousand seats, it is just an ideal capacity.

“There is also a great arena in Almaty, we could organize the world championship in two cities. This is a good idea.”

A 12,000-seat Ice Arena is currently under construction in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, which will include two ice sheets and a swimming pool. 

The Almaty Ice Arena, which formed part of the city’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, will be used for the 2017 Winter University Games (Universiade).

At 12,000 seats, Astana’s New Ice Arena is twice the capacity of any existing ice rink in the Central Asian former Soviet republic. It replaces the Sports Palace Kazakhstan, which the IIHF says was among the worst rated in the Russian-based cross-border Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

With an academy and swimming-pool complex, the venue will play a role in Kazakhstan’s wider ambitions for sports development.

Astana is also preparing to host EXPO 2017, an International Specialised Expo established by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Kazakhstan’s long-standing president Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Astana’s New Ice Arena on Saturday and gave it his approval.

The opening was marked by a showpiece face-off between Rene Fasel and Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation president Askar Mamin before a game between Barys Astana and Metallurg Novokuznetsk kicked off the pre-season.

“I congratulate you and all the ice hockey fans of Astana and Kazakhstan on having this new arena. The ice is among the best around Europe,” Fasel told Kazinform.

“I like this country a lot, and this is not my first trip here. People in Kazakhstan are very friendly and hostpitable." 

Toronto’s sporting achievements continue with the Parapan American Games, which opened on Friday evening with the lighting of a cauldron at the new CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium at York University. 

“The Parapan Am Games are a jaw-dropping display of the power of human beings to excel, to overcome and to be strong,” said Mayor John Tory. “We are excited and ready to welcome athletes and visitors to our great city for these Games. Residents, visitors and a new generation of future athletes will be inspired. Toronto has already seen great triumphs with the Pan Am Games and we will see more with the Parapan Am Games.”

Toronto is hosting the largest ever Parapan Am Games, with more than 1,600 athletes from 28 countries compete in 15 sports at 11 different competition venues. The Parapan Am Games will officially begin when the cauldron is lit at this evening.

The 2015 Parapan American Games serve as a qualifier for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in all sports.

Venues in Toronto are hosting top athletes from across the Americas in archery, athletics, cycling (road), football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The new Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CIBC Pan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House) in Scarborough hosts the swimming and sitting volleyball events. After the Games, the facility will serve as a world-class water sports training centre as well as the home of the Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Academy. 

Owned by the City of Toronto and the University of Toronto, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre will open to the community after the Parapan Am Games to provide health and recreation opportunities for Toronto residents and the local community.

The cultural celebration for the Games, PANAMANIA Live continues through the Parapan Am Games. Nathan Phillips Square is hosting free performances from some of the hottest names in Canadian and American popular music.

The City of Toronto is urging visitors and residents to make full use of the city’s public transit system, which it says has the second largest in North America and has the highest per capita ridership rate on the continent.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and the fourth largest in North America. The city is said to be contemplating a bid for the 2024 or 2028 Olympic Games and the 2025 World Expo. 

HOST CITY: Does the location of an event have a big impact on infrastructure requirements?

Martin Kallen: We would like it to be similar all the time – that would be easier for us, but wherever you go it’s different. 

Of course we have our criteria and documents we provide to stadiums and organisers to ensure that they meet certain standards. The standards are getting more even. 

However they are still different in terms of the size and quality of infrastructure. Some have better broadcasting facilities, better hospitality facilities or better technical facilities. 

HOST CITY: How does France compare with Poland and Ukraine in terms of event infrastructure?

Martin Kallen: We have 10 stadiums in France, four of which are brand new, 1 existing Stade de France and five refurbished stadiums. If you go to Parc de Princes, they have rebuilt all the hospitality zones, business seats, kiosks, technical area and refreshed the sanitary areas. The remaining seats will be soon replaced.

Lyon is a completely new stadium. Lens is in principle a rebuild, with the construction of a new roof, hospitality and technical area, replacement of seats, etc. Saint-Etienne is a rebuild as well – it’s almost a new stadium on the old foundations.

Bordeaux is a new stadium and Toulouse made an upgrade of the existing facilities as seating area, kiosks and access control system.

If you compare this to Poland and Ukraine, most of the stadiums there were new buildings, with one or two exceptions. 

In Poland, Poznan was a rebuild, but almost the whole stadium was rebuilt. All the other stadiums - Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw - were new. 

In Ukraine you had three new stadiums: Donetsk was finished two years earlier for the club FC Shakhtar Donetsk. Kharkiv was similar to Saint-Etienne, where they rebuilt the stadium on old foundations. 

France is further ahead at this stage in terms of finishing – the infrastructure of most of the stadiums is now delivered. The last one Lyon, will be finished by the end of this year, whereas in Ukraine and Poland a lot of the stadiums were delivered in the last year and two close to the start of the tournament.

In terms of quality, a brand new stadium is much more modern than the one already existing. New stadiums in Ukraine and Poland are similar to the new stadiums in France. 

It is difficult to compare a rebuilding with a new stadium. You always have some challenges because there is a link to the foundations of the stadium, access and so on. If they were built in the seventies, eighties, it’s not the same as today.

HOST CITY: What opportunities are there for event infrastructure suppliers in France?

Martin Kallen: On the overlay side, we are now doing the last tenders. All the suppliers have put their tenders in. It’s now coming almost to an end, because the work will start next year but the tendering process is taking place now.

On the stadium side, all the suppliers were chosen by the stadiums because, except Lyon, the last ones will be delivered by this summer.

HOST CITY: What are the main criteria in choosing a supplier for a UEFA event?

Martin Kallen: One is of course their knowledge – they need to have experience. Secondly, they need to have state of the art, products and services. 

They also need to be sustainable. This means that what they are putting in also needs to be taken away and recycled, or ideally reused in a different form; and when it comes to waste management, that it’s not all going in the garbage – it needs to be sorted or treated. The more it can be reused, the better is the sustainability of the product. 

What is also important is the price. It doesn’t always need to be the cheapest price, but it needs to be a good balance between quality and cost.

Taxes in different countries are always a challenge for suppliers, because they have to establish daughter companies, to recover VAT etc.

For us, the suppliers are very important for the events, as they are in principle specialists in many areas. 

Through the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES), they can exchange their knowledge, information, issues, problems, challenges and best practice – this is a very good initiative.

HOST CITY: How will EURO 2020 differ in terms of event infrastructure?

Martin Kallen: The first big difference is that infrastructure in most of the countries is already ready. 

We have only two locations where a new stadium will be built; one in Budapest and one in Brussels.

The other stadiums are already state of the art. We have to put on the EURO overlay; we will start working heavily with the stadium from approximatively 2018.

The overlay required for a big event is mainly for broadcasting and media facilities; then it’s hospitality, commercial facilities and all areas which will be either inside existing stadium premises or temporary facilities built outside. But it’s too early to give further information on that, because we have started the project not long time ago.

HOST CITY: What’s the biggest challenge for EURO 2020?

Martin Kallen: We have different challenges. The biggest one is surely to have a good EURO atmosphere in all the 13 countries as each one has 4 matches in only one host city of the country.

The other challenge is to ensure easy transport access. Or to have back to back matches in a host city, so fans can remain in the city until the next match – these are all important points to look at. 

Of course you have 13 different countries with 13 different legislations, so you have to analyse how you can build a unified ticketing concept which is the same for a supporter in London, Munich and Baku. 

HOST CITY: Will ticket prices be different in different countries?

Martin Kallen: That is a good question. That will be decided at a later stage, whether you can have a set price or a different price category that depends on the purchasing power of the people in the country to buy tickets. 

With growth in demand for temporary infrastructure set to continue to grow from one event to the next, innovation will be crucial to keep pace with this demand, according to senior officials at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) speaking at the first conference of the Association of Global Event Suppliers (AGES).

“Temporary infrastructure is crucial for the operation of large events. The demand for such venue infrastructure for media, security, logistics, hospitality and fan zones is increasing from event to event,” said Martin Kallen, director of UEFA operations division and CEO of EURO 2016 SAS – the organisation responsible for all operational aspects of Europe’s biggest football tournament.

There are major business opportunities for suppliers of temporary infrastructure at the upcoming UEFA EURO 2016 in France, Kallen said.

The recently adopted Olympic Agenda 2020 will drive demand for temporary infrastructure, said Xavier Becker, Head of Venues, Infrastructure & Services at the IOC.

“The IOC wants to actively promote the use of existing and temporary infrastructure to contribute to more sustainable and cost effective solutions,” he said.

“Furthermore the IOC wishes to develop the awareness regarding temporary infrastructure and to promote an earlier engagement with the suppliers market.

"I would also encourage the industry to develop innovative solutions, and to think about new reusable large facilities to provide more flexibility for organizers.”

The need for innovation was also stressed by Kallen, who said “Suppliers need to fulfil high selection criteria. Quality, reliability and the capacity to innovate are key.”

The conference, which took place in Derbyshire, UK on 2 and 3 March, was the first gathering of members and associate members of AGES who, along with other industry experts, discussed the challenges and opportunities for temporary infrastructures and demountable venues for large events. 

The event was organized by AGES and hosted by Eve Trakway. 

“We want AGES to become the platform for the industry and establish a framework and forums to become an integrated part of the delivery solution for all key stake holders,” said Daniel Cordey, chairman of AGES.

“AGES will approach governmental bodies and organisers, who face the challenge of finding appropriate solutions, to explain the huge possibilities of the industry and to help develop true legacy plans for their events.”

Since being founded by 18 members in June 2014, AGES has almost doubled in size.

“Looking down the growing list of members it is very encouraging to see the incredible level of event expertise assembled around one table,” said Guy Lodge, an honorary member of AGES who has been involved in three major events in Russia, Scotland and Brazil.

“It drives home the challenges that the industry faces, around budget pressures, varying procurement practices and regulatory compliance”. 

AGES is a not-for-profit-making organisation based in Switzerland formed to become the label for quality and reliability for temporary infrastructure works for major events.

Its members are market leaders in the international event suppliers industry and front runners in the development of new products and services. Together they annually deliver services and works for close to 1.5 Billion EUR. 

AGES seeks to present the capabilities of the industry to governmental bodies, key stakeholders and organisers of large sports events, to develop standards and procedures, to facilitate interaction and to obtain cost-effective infrastructure solutions for future events. 

For more information, please visit www.ages.international or contact Daniel Cordey, Chairman of AGES at info@ages.international or by telephone +41 79 407 06 06

The 2016 Olympic Games will not be affected by the economic slump or the scandal engulfing Brazil’s government and its national oil company, according to organising committee’s communications director Mario Andrada.

Construction projects for the Games, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016, are back on track and will not be held up, despite the worrying prospect that some contractors may be linked to the scandal, Andrada said in an exclusive interview with HOST CITY.

He also said the state government needs to be mobilised to clean up the sailing venue in Guanabara Bay in time.

Brazil’s economy was booming when Rio de Janeiro was awarded the hosting rights in 2009 but the economy failed to grow in 2014 and remains depressed.

The country’s problems are compounded by the fact that several politicians and companies have been implicated in bribery issues relating to national oil producer, Petrobras.

“Brazil is going through a political and an economic crisis,” Andrada said. 

“Petrobras has very complicated issues to manage. Some of the top Brazilian companies have been affected by this because they have been involved in corruption scandal.

“That’s worrying on our side because of the construction work on the Olympic Games.”

While the organising committee is not itself implicated in the scandal – “We are not connected to these allegations in any way, shape or form” – any contractors found to be connected to the Petrobras scandal will be taken off Olympic projects. 

The organisers of the Games have prepared for this by ensuring that venue construction projects are contracted to more than one company.

“Each of the venues is being delivered by two or more construction companies. So if one of them is facing trouble through the Petrobras scandal due to lack of finance, the other companies are able to carry on.

“So far we have been able to be immune to this situation because the construction system guarantees that one of the companies hired for the job will do the job.”

Rio 2016 came under fire last year for a seriously delayed start to venue construction work but it is now on track. 

“It’s not easy to sail through stormy waters, but we have been able to keep the pace,” said Andrada. 

The International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission visited Rio de Janeiro in February and gave an overall positive assessment but identified areas of concern, such as the sailing venue. 

“It was a very favourable visit but we have an issue in Guanabara Bay where the sailing competitions will take place,” said Andrada.

“We need to be more effective in cleaning the bay and helping the government to clean the bay. 

“It’s a matter of mobilising the government. It’s a huge project that involves 12 counties around the bay, so it can only be carried out by the state government.

“The point is to help them to get technicians and experts to work together.”

The test event for sailing starts on 15th August 2015. 

“We still have time to clean it up and to make sure the field of play will be totally clean. Everybody needs to push in the right direction.” 

Construction work on the Olympic Park in Barra has made huge strides since the IOC voiced concerns a year ago, Andrada said, with the work clearly visible above ground. 

“There is a huge amount of things to do but everything is moving in the way we want it to. We are cautiously optimistic but confident.”

Despite the economic slowdown, the organising committee is managing to operate with completely private finance. 

“We are still running the organising committee with private money. This will probably be the first Olympic Games in history where the organising committee did all its work without public funding.

“I believe the Games are the good news for Brazil in the middle of the Petrobras scandal and all the political issues.” 

Mario Andrada was a VIP speaker at HOST CITY Bid to Win and is set to speak again at HOST CITY 2015: The Largest Meeting of Cities, Sports, Business and Cultural Events. Book your place now by contacting adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

World Archery president and IOC vice president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener laid the first stone of the World Archery Excellence Centre in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne today. 

The development was welcomed by IOC president Dr Thomas Bach, who said “Archery is one of the most ancient sports, but it has also been an innovator throughout its history and that is shown here at this centre once more.

“We are looking forward to see many future Olympians and Olympic and Youth Olympic Champions prepare here for Buenos Aires, Tokyo and beyond, and if work on the Centre keeps on progressing at this pace, even for Rio.”

The centre is set to become a hub for the development of Olympic, elite and recreational archery worldwide. Construction is set to be completed next year, with the centre opening its doors after the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The World Archery Excellence Centre’s design and operational plan is environmentally friendly. The Centre will be heated by geothermal wells, will feature extensive solar panelling and has been designed to maximise the effect of natural light inside the building. 

“This is a historic moment for archery,” said Erdener. 

“We are very grateful for the support of the Canton of Vaud, the city of Lausanne, IOC president Dr Thomas Bach, the board of FIDTA and everyone else who made this project possible.

“Over the last few years we have seen a dramatic increase in participation and global recognition in our sport. There is still much work to do and as an organisation and a sport we constantly aim to innovate, evolve and development.

“Vital to this mission is the World Archery Excellence Centre: a hub, cornerstone and a state-of-the-art example of archery’s drive to always improve. We are confident that this new facility will help us build on the momentum archery has built over the past few years, serve our development goals and move towards a future where everyone has the opportunity to make the sport of archery their elite or recreational activity of choice.”

Facilities at the world-class venue will include indoor and outdoor ranges for international athletes to train for major international, multisport and World Archery events – including future Olympiads – and a state-of-the-art gym. The Centre will also host theoretical and practical courses for the sport’s technical officials and coaches in its conference and meeting rooms.

The elite facilities will also be used for training camps for young people from the local community and as an outreach centre for archery in the area. The Excellence Centre’s offices will be dedicated to conceiving innovative ideas to develop the sport from grassroots through to elite around the world.

The fifth venue plan for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup was unveiled on Wednesday. The new Al Rayyan stadium, which replaces an existing smaller football stadium, will have a capacity of 40,000 during the World Cup and be reduced to 21,000 after the tournament. 

The construction project is set to be complete by 2019.

Material from the old stadium is being reused and recycled. The new design incorporates renewable energy and cooling technologies to maximise legacy use.

“Unveiling the design of Al Rayyan stadium is another important step forward in our preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

“We will continue to work tirelessly as our vision for the tournament takes shape on the ground.”

The upper tier of 19,000 seats will be removed after the tournament and sent to developing nations in need of sports infrastructure.

“Qatar has moved from the stage of reiterating its bid commitments towards demonstrating its ability to deliver several important infrastructure projects to the highest international standards in accordance with the timetables set,” said Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Qatar’s Minister of Youth and Sports.

Even though the 2022 World Cup is set to take place in the cooler months of November and December, the stadium will incorporate cooling technology to maximise the venue’s potential for legacy use. 

“The sophisticated modelling employed has heavily influenced the innovative designs for cooling systems and the advanced roof and wind screen design, with best practice being used to optimise designs for waste reduction and energy management strategies,” said Yaver Abidi, regional managing director Middle East and Asia at Ramboll, the lead design consultant on the stadium.

“The Al Rayyan Stadium will deliver an impressive and comfortable experience for fans and players alike and leave a strong legacy for the Al Rayyan community.”

90 per cent of materials from the deconstruction of the current stadium is being re-used. Some of the materials will be used by local and international artists to create works of public art.

Doors, windows, frames, water fixtures and fittings, light switches and sockets have been used in construction site accommodation and offices. Concrete has been crushed and stored for future site levelling works. Reinforcement bars and other metals will be recycled by Qatar Steel. Topsoil has been stockpiled for future precinct landscaping works, while scrap timber will be recycled by licensed centres across Qatar.

The stadium precinct’s carbon footprint will be reduced through the use of on-site renewable energy, lightweight building design, careful selection of materials and energy and water efficiency measures. 

The stadium is designed with the goal of certification under both the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings.

David Barwell, chief executive Middle East and India of AECOM said: “As the project manager for the Al Rayyan Stadium and Precinct, we see our strength in connection, bringing together our global team of experts from previous major sporting and FIFA events, and the embedded knowledge in country, technology and cooling experts, all of which is led by our strong project, commercial management and delivery team. 

“We connect the collective knowledge, experience and innovative ideas to create an amazing sporting venue that brings people closer together and close to the action. The community and culture of Al Rayyan has been at the heart of what we are trying to achieve, creating a destination venue that will leave a meaningful legacy they can be proud of, now and in the future.”

The stadium design is intended to reflect Al Rayyan’s sporting heritage and Qatar’s environment, through patterns and designs on the stadium’s façade.

“The stadium’s distinctive façade was created using cutting-edge parametric design tools so that it also plays an important role in cooling the building.” said Dipesh Patel, architect and founder of Pattern Design, the lead design consultants on Al Rayyan. “The result is a landmark for Qatar that works effectively both as a world-stage for sport and, we hope, something that is genuinely meaningful and welcoming locally."

Al Rayyan Stadium is the fifth stadium design the Supreme Committee has unveiled. Work is now underway across the following stadiums: Al Wakrah, Al Bayt – Al Khor, Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar Foundation Stadium & Health and Wellness Precinct and Al Rayyan Stadium.