Urban and landscape development in Lusail

Doha, Qatar

The landscape project of the city of Lusail, near Doha, involved recreating an artificial riverbed and included the design of promenades from the sea all the way to the desert, featuring a new Marina and an Eco- park inspired by the uniqueness of the Qatari landscape.

Lusail is a new city in Qatar, located about 15 kilometres north of Doha city centre, north of the West Bay lagoon. The project covers 130 hectares of landscaped scenery, in an environment where the landscape was initially in its natural state, seen as an opportunity for a comprehensive landscaping approach to the dynamic and rapid development of the city. It created a new geography, in symbiosis with the existing fauna and flora and spanning a vast territory between the desert and the sea. The project has created a “City Park” consisting of an archipelago of green spaces and interconnected parks linked to a Marina building and a waterfront boating harbour. The orthogonal elements reinforce the landscaping coherence of this district, enlivened by parks, plazas, shaded walks, gardens, artesian fountains and lighting effects. The project’s Marina District section is a recreational destination, enlivened the marina activities and a coastline promenade.

The Wadi eco-park itself redefines the waterfront and extends over 59 hectares. It illustrates the transition from the sea to the desert and involves the creation of a canyon dotted with oases and pockets of vegetation, featuring species characteristic of the Qatari fauna. Designed as a typical riverbed, it artificially recreates a mangrove zone at the mouth of the lagoon and reaches the arid regions of the hinterland.

The innovative concept of a “City Park” draws its inspiration from the concept of oases, i.e., micro-climate clusters of pleasant living conditions where the desert heat is balanced by vegetation in the form of “pockets” of various magnitudes. The project emphasizes the importance of the public space and its own landscaping identity in designing the sustainable city of the future. The search for authenticity has led to the controlled use of natural stone for public spaces, while seeking the balance between natural and artificial vegetation.

Customer:Qatari Diar
Team:Architecturestudio, Michel Desvigne, Sogreah, RFR, BWS
Program:Urban and landscape design
Surface:130 ha
Status:2013