What's next for Stadium 974?

We first wrote about this progressive and amazing recycled shipping container stadium back in 2019. Congratulations to the planners and organisers on making such a bold decision. The stadium along with the 2022 World Cup has been a resounding success all round.

Why Stadium 974?

It took 974 recycled shipping containers to build and the internal dialing code go Qatar is 974, its that simple! Its first name Ras Abu Aboud Stadium. Unless you’re native to Qatar that name isn’t memorable.

About the stadium

With a seating capacity of over 44,000 its a mid-size stadium in global terms. Its a temporary venue and will be dismantled now the tournament is finished. The stadium was first used in the FIFA World Cup 2022 to host the Mexico vs Poland game on 22nd November. Finalists Argentina and France also played matches here along with Portugal, Ghana, Serbia and Switzerland. The 16 clash between Brazil and Korea was also hosted at Stadium 974.

Stadium 974 was built on a 450,000 square-metre waterfront site. It had a modular steel frame and multicoloured containers. It was the only stadium built for the World Cup without air conditioning. The use of shipping containers reflected the site’s industrial history. Qatar called the stadium a “beacon of sustainability” as part of its pledge to deliver the first carbon neutral World Cup.

The Designers

Stadium 974 was design by Spanish Architects Fenwick Iribarren. They are leaders in football stadium design. Their success began following design and constructoin the Espanyol FC stadium. It won the Stadium Business Award in 2010 for best Sports Venue of the Year. The designers added to their awards in 2013 with the Best Stadium in the Spanish First Division.

Design and construction

Recycled steel and shipping containers helped reduce waste and construction time. The idea was to avoid building a “white elephant”. The Qatari government didn’t want a stadium on the waterfront left unused or underused after the World Cup. This has sadly happened following previous World Cups.

The entire steel structure of Stadium 974 can be repurposed and used for another World Cup or major sporting event. This would be as either a stadium of the same size or several smaller venues.

What’s next for the stadium?

Stadium 974 will be used for a fashion show and some concerts after the World Cup has finished. The Qatar 2022 organising committee spokesperson said “the precise timeline for the full dismantling and repurposing is not yet finalised”.

Could it be bound for South America?

Some reports suggest the stadium might be sent to Uruguay as part of a joint bid with Argentina, Chile and Paraguay for the 2030 World Cup. Whatever happens the World Cup’s first temporary stadium will soon be dismantled after hosting seven matches in two weeks at Qatar 2022.

Organisers have also said they will donate 170,000 seats from other stadiums to developing countries to try to make them more sustainable and avoid them becoming underused in future.