The 2022 FIFA World Cup, an international football tournament, is going to cost Qatar approximately US$220 billion which is almost sixty times what South Africa spent on the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This is the first time a country in the Middle East will host the World Cup and the destination choice has been met with lot of complaints and criticism.
In response to the mounting controversy of Qatar’s ability to host the 2022 World Cup, Qatari authorities are planning on building floating hotels, luxury villas and a water park off the coast of Doha. This will help in accommodating the influx of visitors expected in Qatar for the World Cup.
Sigge Architects has partnered with Global Accommodation Management for this project. The Qatari authorities have chosen them because of their sustainability and green credentials. Here are some of the features of these hotels:
- The hotels and the luxury apartments are part of a new island called Oryx Island off the coast of Doha. This new island will be equipped with its own utilities and power and these new hotel buildings will exist entirely off Qatar’s grid.
- These floating hotels and luxury apartment will help accommodate over 25,000 people.
- Electrical vehicles, water taxis, ferries and private boats will help visitors get to the mainland.
- These space-saving hotels will have an independent sewage treatment plant, power generation and recycling possibilities, freeing them from the limitations of the infrastructure in the surrounding area.
- These energy-efficient structures are designed in a luxurious way; the interiors depict modern design with large expansive glass walls to take in the ocean views.
Although the environmental impact of these hotels is fairly unclear, these floating hotels have definitely put forward a beautiful solution to the continual need for housing during our melting ice-cap era.
