Doha Exhibition & Convention Center/ Doha, Qatar/ 2016
Type: Convention Center, Cultural
Size: 2,361,180 sq ft / 219,360 sq m
Status: Completed 2016
Recognition: AIA Chicago Distinguished Building Award
The new Doha Convention Center consists of seven large Exhibit Halls, spacious adjacent conference rooms, and a separate Meeting Center, all located under a monumental 20.5m high floating blade roof, which becomes the primary feature of the Convention Center. Supported by tapered concrete columns, spaced in an 18 m x 96 m structural bay, the metal-clad steel roof unifies all the elements of the Convention Center and Retail functions below. Long-span cantilevered edges of the roof reinforce the concept of a floating roof and provide needed shading for the all-glass cable façades below. A pattern of circular skylights over the Exhibit Halls allows natural light into these spaces, reducing the requirement for artificial lighting.
The main component of the Convention Center is 33,858 m² of exhibition space. By utilizing movable partitions, this continuous space can be sub-divided into 6 separate halls: five at 5,346 m² a piece, and one at 7,128 m². When separated, the typical halls measure 54 m wide by 99 m deep by 18 m high. Exhibit Hall 1 can be configured in either a larger 7,128 m² hall, or a typical 5,346 m² hall with a 1,728 m² Event Foyer for VIPs and Ceremonial Openings. Exhibit Hall 6 has a clear height of ~8m due to location of the Meeting Center above.
On the south side of the Convention Center is the Entrance Foyer, with its 400 m long all-glass cable façade. The Entrance Foyer can be accessed via signature entrances from the drop-off roadway, located directly across from each Exhibit Hall entrance. Access is also at each end from the Ceremonial Drop-Off and Retail areas.
Loading zones are located to the north side of the Convention Center and have direct access to each Exhibit Hall. An oversize access door is located between the loading zone and Exhibit Hall 1 for oversized goods. Storage for the halls is located above at Level 1, and is accessible by forklift-rated freight elevators.
