The 2022 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup will indeed be a unique moment for the football fraternity across the globe and a masterpiece to behold.
It would be a moment of when the world witness unique moments of innovation, creativity and above all the most compact world cup in the history of the competition, where football fans would be presented with the opportunity to watch at least four matches each day due to the closeness of the match venues.
One of the unique moments and innovative concepts in the history of the game is the Stadium 974, the first ever stadium built purely from shipping containers and modular steel built to portray the country’s worldwide trading and seafaring.
The 40,000 all seater stadium would host group matches during the world cup as well as some quarter final games, and coincidently would be the historic venue for the Ghana-Portugal group H opener.
Located in the central eastern part of Doha, the capital of Qatar, the Stadium 974 was built with exactly 974 containers, with a unique design and architecture that meets the requirements of FIFA for such competitions.
Speaking to a team of international journalists on Tuesday, Sheikh Mohammed Al Atwaan, Facility Manager of the famous ediface said the facility is the most unique design and concept in the list of facilities for the competition.
According to Al Atwaan, the logo concept was developed to reflect the culture and tradition of Qatar, adding that, the facility would be dismantled after the competition.
“We would use the containers to build small sporting facilities after the competition, or give them out as charity when the need arises.
“The site would also be used for other purposes after the competition, since it is closer to the sea. It is only the stadium that would not use artificial air condition because of the cool sea breeze,” he added.
Mr Al Atwaan said they uniquely allocated colours of each container to represent the use of every part of the stadium, such wash rooms, disability zones, and fan zones.
For him, the best facility for the world cup is the innovative container stadium, where participating countries would sell the best of football to the world.
THE FUTURE
The apex committee for the organisation of the world cup, the Supreme Committee and Qatar legacy seem to have effective laid down strategies to deal with post world cup legacies and how to deal with them.
The 974 Stadium is a typical example of such strategies, as the containers would remoulded and used for other purposes, whilst a water front would be developed with excellent facilities for entertainment purposes and bring life back to the site and also make it a business hub.
“This new concept in venue development ensures that while the stadium physical presence is temporal, its legacy will be everlasting,” he added.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, would be one of a kind good enough to tell generations about the unique innovations and initiatives that have so far amazed the world.
