050 DOHA REPORT / QATAR NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE


Since its launch in 1999, Qatar Education City on the outskirt of Doha has gradually grown into a global centre for education and research. Over the last ten years, a se- lect group of British, US and French univer- sities have established satellite campuses on the 14 square mile site, joining Qatar’s own set of Academies to create an engine for the country’s development ambitions. At the end of 2011, Education City was further bolstered with the opening of the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). Commissioned by the Qatar Foundation - the group tasked with overseeing the development of Education City - the centre, boasts an iconic design and cutting edge facilities. The building houses ten multi- functional halls to host world and regional conventions, educational lectures, concerts and recitals. With 40,000m2


of exhibition


space available, it is set to become a high profile, prestige destination for global exhibitions, presidential banqueting and national events.


The initial concept for the structure itself was drawn up by renowned Japanese Architect Arata Isozaki as part of his mas- terplan for Education City and was later carried forward by the project’s Executive Architects RHWL (more specifically the


practice’s London and Berlin offices). The centre’s iconic façade takes its inspiration from the Sidra tree - a symbol used by the Foundation to express its three key areas of focus: education, science & research, and community development. In the desert, the tree is traditionally a beacon of learning and comfort, providing shelter for scholars and poets to gather. With its 250 metre long façade of curved pillars - a stylised tree structure reaching up to support the exterior roof canopy - the new centre con- fidently signals its intentions: to become a venue for the mass exchange of ideas under


The VVIP entrance breaks up the QNCC’s long facade. A ceiling of back lit square panels, custom- built by JT Kalmar, can descend to create a more intimate space for special events. Similarly, two lines of Martin MAC575 moving heads can be lowered as required, delivering patterned effects across the surfaces within the space.


Pic: JT Kalmar


Pic: JT Kalmar


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