After hosting seven matches in two weeks at Qatar 2022, Stadium 974 – the World Cup’s first temporary stadium and the country’s “beacon of sustainability” is set to be pulled down.
Named after Qatar’s international dialling code and the number of shipping containers used in its construction, Stadium 974 was one of seven grounds built for the tournament, while an eighth was extensively redeveloped.
The infrastructure of Stadium 974 can be repurposed for another World Cup or major sporting tournament with similar size or several smaller facilities.
The 44,089-capacity Stadium 974 which sits on Doha’s stunning waterfront presents an array of multicoloured shipping containers and linked steel frames that can be seen from outside the stadium. It contains toilet facilities, tea kiosks and food stands.
Qatar’s intent derives from its pledge to deliver the first carbon-neutral World Cup. Apart from the seven new stadiums, Qatar has a new airport, metro system, roads and about 100 new hotels. Many have thrown flacks at the government over concerns about the mistreatment of thousands of migrant workers who built the infrastructure.
Because it was the only stadium built for the World Cup without air conditioning, it hosted only evening matches, culminating in Brazil’s last-16 victory over South Korea on December 5.
Deploying shipping containers and recycled steel helped reduce waste generated and construction time compared to the other new venues.
The designers Fenwick Iribarren Architects and the Qatari government said they aimed to avoid building a “white elephant”. It wasn’t meant to be a facility rarely used after a tournament, as has proven the case following the three previous World Cups in Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
A report into Stadium 974 commissioned by FIFA and delivered by emission reduction experts pointed out that reusing existing dismountable structures could be widely replicated. It allows stadiums to be assembled in more central and “easily accessible” locations, thereby reducing “intra-city fan travel” during competitions.
There are indications that the dismantled Qatar stadium will be shipped to Uruguay, where it could host the 2030 World Cup.