19.08.2008
Doha Olympic Village
The Olympic Village: a model for the future
The Doha 2016 Olympic Village will provide a comfortable, efficient and inspirational haven for the athletes, and, as a legacy, will establish a new standard for “future living” and serve as much-needed housing.
The Village is a 67-hectare development, designed to meet every need of the athletes and delegations, while also providing Doha with much needed mixed-use development near the city centre. All athletes, officials and coaches will live together in a single Olympic Village, housing 18,000 people, with the furthest venue only 30 km away.
Doha 2016 has worked with the Qatar Urban Planning and Development Authority to identify a Village site that offers a central location on a major transport corridor. One of the region’s leading architects has created plans that fulfil Olympic, Paralympic and legacy requirements. One of the world’s leading developers, Qatari Diar, will finance and construct the Village at a cost of USD 1.94 billion.
Formed in the shape of a dove, the Doha Olympic Village features extensive pedestrian walkways, peaceful and expansive green space and meandering canals. At the heart of the Doha Olympic Village will be an iconic International Plaza. Athletes will live in new, upscale housing of 1-3 bedroom apartments, clustered in “intelligent buildings of the future”.
Doha 2016 has initiated an international design competition to establish new standards in sustainable construction for both the Olympic and Media Villages, emphasising the use of solar power, water conservation techniques and sustainable materials. Doha 2016 is also partnering with Q-Tel telecommunications to provide state-of-the-art internet and telecom networks in every apartment.
The main dining hall, the transportation mall and recreational amenities are no more than a leisurely 10-minute walk from any accommodation.
A comprehensive “Media City”
Doha 2016 has collaborated with Qatar University to create the “Media City” [link to media city page], featuring the Main Media Centre and the innovative, immediately adjacent Media Village. The university’s long-term plans call for meeting, public assembly, recreation, and mixed-use development on 72 hectares of their land, and the university has guaranteed financing of the project at a cost of USD 213 million.
The Main Media Centre will unite the 45,000m2 Main Press Centre (MPC), the 75,000 m2 International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and a Combined Services Centre (CSC) with 8,500 m2 of common facilities, including a full restaurant.
The MPC features all required facilities, including separate work spaces for writers and photographers, bookable space, interview rooms, press operations work spaces, and internal dining facilities.
The IBC will be a free-span structure of at least 18 m height, which will be available to the OBS at least one year prior to the Games.
The university has already established clear legacy use of these facilities. The MPC and CSC will become a meeting and exhibition centre, while the IBC will become research and development space for many of the university’s innovative programmes, such as its Sustainable Development Programme.