|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES: 10 Qatari projects you should be involved in; US $5.5 billion Musheireb begins construction; DohaLand unveils new architectural landmark
Things can only get better for Doha’s construction industry, as CW discovers.
Due to its abundant supply of natural resources providing a solid foundation for its economy, Qatar is one of the few countries with an economy strong enough to stop the financial crisis in its tracks. In fact, while other regions are taking a step back, when it comes to development, Qatar is taking two steps forward.
For a start, a huge section of the capital city of Doha is currently being rebuilt in an attempt to reduce urban sprawl. Ground breaking on the Musheireb project, previously known as the Heart of Doha, took place in January and the completion of the development is expected to mark the return of Qatar’s old link between the communities and their environment.
Story continues below 
“Skyscrapers and isolated living compounds are not the communities we aspire to in Doha. We therefore decided to revive our past, rediscover our traditions, and regenerate the communities we have lost in this world,” said Dohaland CEO Issa Al Mohannadi. “We will do this by combining the spirit and aesthetic of yesterday with environmentally friendly and sustainable know-how of tomorrow.”
The mixed-use development will contain 226 buildings and will be home to 27,637 residents. It will also have a dedicated tramway, with a combination of commercial and residential properties, retail, cultural and entertainment areas.
The project, which will spread across 350,000 m², will be completed in five phases, with the first phased due for completion by 2012 and the entire project is due to be complete by 2016.
A new mixed-use development in Lusail – Qatar’s newest city and an extension of Doha – is also set to begin this year, following KEO International Consultants’ design contract win at the beginning of this month.
The waterfront project, valued at around US $800 million (QR2.9 billion), will offer 160,000m² of commercial space, 130,000m² of office space and 30,000m² for retail. A residential area covers a further 87,000m² and comprises 640 apartments as well as 27, four-bedroom townhouses.
Diyar Al Kuwait’s planned schedule for the project is ‘aggressive but do-able’ according to Dherar Al Nisf, project manager at the developer, with work set to begin on site in late 2010. The conceptual architectural design has been approved and the development is now going into the detailed design phase.
KEO is also providing project management services to the development, which is yet to be named. The project is located in the southeastern corner of the Lusail’s Marina District, roughly 20km north of the planned Doha International Airport.
On that note, phase one of the US $7 billion New Doha International Airport (NDIA) is currently set to be completed by 2011. It is set to fulfil three critical roles once complete: to make Qatar a global gateway; serve as the hub for Qatar Airways and other airlines; and provide a cargo and aircraft maintenance centre.
It will be one of the first airports in the world to accommodate unrestricted operations by all commercial aircraft, including the new A380 airliner that will soon be added to Qatar Airways’ fleet.
On its opening day, NDIA will be able to annually accommodate 24 million passengers, 1.4 million tonnes of cargo and over 360,000 aircraft movements. The master plan, overseen by Bechtel, allows the project to increase until Q1 2015, when NDIA will have an ultimate annual capacity of nearly 50 million passengers and 2.5 million tonnes of cargo.
When the 22km² airport opens in 2011, it will have two runways (4,850m and 4,250m) in addition to a giant passenger terminal and concourse measuring 600,000m² and providing 41 contact gates. Other facilities include the Emiri Terminal, air traffic control tower and cargo complex.
Inside the passenger terminal – the foundations of which were laid by Six Construct – the design focus has been on the creation of a spacious but efficient and convenient airport experience. The terminal has been designed by HOK architects so that all passenger transfers can occur under one roof. With short walking distances between gates, and shorter connections between flights, passenger waiting and walking times are minimised.
The cargo complex is made up of seven facilities covering over 290,000m² and will have the capacity for processing 1.4 million tonnes of cargo per year, making it amongst the largest in the world.
Big budget Doha projects:
New Doha International Airport - $11 billion
Lusail - $5.5 billion
Doha Metro - $3 billion
Barwa City - $1.35 billion
Doha Convention Centre and Tower - $1.5 billion
| Articles | |
| Companies | |
 |
Site Map
 |
 |
 |
 |
|  |
\
FEATURED COMMENT
Please click here to comment on this article