Architects from Populous and Oualalou + Choi secured the contract for the construction of the largest football stadium in the region. Upon its anticipated completion, the stadium will boast seating capacity for over one hundred thousand enthusiastic fans, solidifying its status as a premier sporting venue in the region.
(Photo : Construction Briefing/Oualalou + Choi )
Construction of Largest Football Stadium
The assignment to design the Grande Stade de Casablanca stadium in Morocco has been awarded to a group of architects led by Populous and Oualalou + Choi. As mentioned, it would be the largest football stadium in the world once it was finished being constructed. Morocco has been named one of the joint hosts for the FIFA World Cup 2030 with Spain and Portugal. As a result, the stadium can host matches during the soccer competition, which will also function as the physical location of two local clubs.
Moreover, with the approval of public financing in October 2023, construction has already begun on a site that spans 100 hectares and is located in the town of El Mansour, located in the province of Benslimane, 38 kilometers north of Casablanca. The winning design, which Oualalou + Choi, and Populous created, takes its cues from the traditional Moroccan social gathering known as a mousse. The stadium is designed to be set under a large, tented roof.
Thus, by the time it is finished in 2028, it will serve as the headquarters for the Moroccan national football team. With a seating capacity 115,000, it will likely surpass all other African stadiums and become the most expansive in the world. The construction project will also include establishing media centers, four training fields, a public assembly hall, locker rooms, secure and general parking lots, medical services, and the ground itself.
Morocco intends to spend approximately two billion dollars on constructing new stadiums and renovating existing ones as part of its preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
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Other Projects of Populous
Populous presented their plans for the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, a clifftop arena with a capacity of 45,000 people, which would be used for the 2034 World Cup outside of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. By incorporating an LED screen, an LED wall, a retractable roof, and a pitch, this architectural configuration will enable the stadium to provide high-definition visuals to spectators situated outside.
These firms included Zaha Hadid Architects and AECOM, which worked together to finish the Al Janoub stadium in Al Wakrah, and AFL Architects and Foster + Partners, which worked together on the Lusail Stadium. The World Cup 2022 will be held in Qatar, and six new permanent venues were constructed for the tournament. During the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium construction, Pattern Design served as the primary architect.
One estimate suggests that around 6,500 migrant workers have lost their lives over ten years as a result of the way construction workers were handled while working on the projects that were being completed in advance of the football tournament. In 2022, a report published by Carbon Market Watch indicated that the construction of the six permanent stadiums would result in a carbon footprint of 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
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