Msheireb Downtown Doha

Msheireb Downtown Doha is a planned city in Doha, Qatar. Initial construction began in January 2010.^[1] Located in the downtown area of Qatar's capital city, it is set to occupy 310,000 sq m with the total cost of construction amounting to approximately $5.5 billion. It was launched in six phases^[2] by Msheireb Properties, a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation.^[3]

Is a flagship project for Msheireb Properties’, the aim of the project to preserve the historical downtown of Doha.^[4] It will revive the old commercial heart of the city through a new architectural language that is based on community living.

The Name

Msheireb: means ‘a place to drink water’ in Arabic.

Project Cost

It’s a QR20 billion (US$5.5 billion, €4.18 billion).^[5]

Area

Msheireb Downtown Doha will cover an area of 31-hectares (76 acres, 310,000 square metres) offering a maximum floor space quantum of 764,176 SqM.^[6]

Construction phases

The city has six construction phases: Phase 1A, Phase 1B, Phase 1C, Phase 2, Phase 3 and Phase 4.^[7]

Phase 1A's contract was awarded to a consortium consisting of Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting Company.^[8] Phase 1B began in December 2011, and Carillion and Qatar Building Company were selected as the main contractors.^[1] Brookfield Multiplex and Medgulf were contracted for Phase 1C in November 2012.^[9]

Phase 2 began in December 2012, with Arabtec Construction being awarded the contract.^[8] In May 2013, Obayashi Corporation and Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting Company were awarded the contract for Phase 3.^[10]

Location^[11]

Msheireb Downtown Doha is located at Mohamed Bin Jassim District – central Doha, bordered by:

• Al Rayyan Road to the North;
• Jassim Bin Mohamed Street to the East;
• Msheireb Street to the South; and
• Al Diwan Street (part of Ring Road A) to the West.

The Msheireb project site is immediately adjacent to the Amiri Diwan, Qatar’s seat of government and Ruler’s palace. The site is also adjacent to the redeveloped Souk Waqif, a successful mixed-use scheme based on a traditional Qatari souk and the historical Al Koot Fort.

Master Plan

The Master Plan comprises six distinct phases. The first phase, referred to as the ‘Diwan Amiri Quarter’, currently under construction, features a combination of three major government buildings including the National Archive, along with heritage sites, a museum and an Eid Prayer Ground.

Subsequent phases include a 5-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel,^[12] Park Hyatt Doha^[13] & MGallery^[14] along with 1 additional hotel, premier commercial office space, a multitude of residential types and a wide variety of retail shops and restaurants. There is also a significant community and arts focus, featuring a cultural forum, school, nurseries and mosques.

Quarters

Diwan Amiri Quarter

Anchored at the northeast corner of the project, the Diwan Amiri Quarter is adjacent to both the Amiri Diwan and the Al Koot Fort.

Heritage Quarter

The Heritage Quarter is a historic area where traditional courtyard houses and the Eid Prayer Ground dating from the first decade of the last century have been restored, alongside a newly constructed mosque. This quarter to host the Heritage Houses, commonly known as the Bin Jelmood House, the Company House, the Mohammed bin Jassim House and the Radwani House have transformed the Heritage Quarter and created an important cultural destination within the development.

Retail Quarter

The largest of all five quarters, the Retail Quarter will feature the Galleria^[15] an enclosed shopping mall, with several international flagship stores, cinema, supermarket, children's edutainment zone and numerous dining outlets.

Mixed-Use & Residential Quarter

Mixed-Use Quarter will have a combination of commercial, retail and residential properties that overlap the Retail Quarter.

Business Gateway

A spread over 193,000 square metres, the Business Gateway will offer premium business amenities, supported by a mix of banking, personal and civic services, and ease of access through its convenient location.

Construction Updates

Phase 1A

Consists of Diwan Ameri Quarter (Diwan Annex, Amiri Guard and National Archive), Heritage buildings, mosque, amenities & Infrastructure (District Cooling Plant, Substations and Service Corridors). Total number of Buildings is 7.

Status:

• Enabling Works: The works are 100% Complete.
• Infrastructure Works: The works are 100% Complete.
• Main Building works: Main Building Works are complete 100% complete.

Phase 1B/1C

Comprises Offices, Town Houses, Apartments, Amenities, Hotel, Civil Buildings, School, Cultural Centre and Mosque. Total number of buildings is 56.

Status:

• Enabling Works: The works are 100% Complete.
• Piling Works: The works are 100% Complete.
• 1B Main Building Works: 62.8% of the work completed. (Target Completion July-2016).
• 1C Main Building Works: 66.8% of the work completed (Target Completion Aug-2016).
• Substructure works: The works are 100% completed.

Phase 2

Mainly comprises Retail, Offices, Apartments, Cinemas, Department Store and Hotel. Total number of buildings is 10.

Status:

• Enabling Works: was awarded to Ammico in Jun-2010 and 100% complete
• Construction Works: 55.8% of the work completed (Target Completion Jun-2016)

Phase 3

Comprises Retail, Offices, Apartments and Hotel. Total number of buildings is 14.

Status:

• Demolition Works: 100% of the works is completed.
• Enabling Works: 100% of the works is completed.
• Raft Package: 100% of the works is completed.
• Main Work Package: 51.0% of the work completed (Target Completion Oct-2016).

Phase 4

Mainly comprises Retail, Offices, Apartments, Hotel, and Amenities & Metro. Total number of buildings is 13.

Design

Three-year project with leading architects, city planners, engineers, and academics (including specialists from Harvard, Princeton, Yale and MIT) to understand how insights from the past can be combined with present-day technologies and thinking to achieve a new, distinctly Qatari architectural language.^[16]

Language comprises seven ‘steps’ or distinct design principles: Past and Future; Individual and Collective; Space and Form; Aspects of Home; Aspects of the Street; Climate Design; Language of Architecture.

Approximately 25% of the city will be allocated towards residential developments. Hotels, shops and retail establishments will take up a combined space of 26%, while government buildings have been allotted roughly more than one-third of the entire area.^[17] The city is expected to accommodate around 15,000 residents.^[2]

Msheireb Downtown Doha is set to contain one of the largest collection of LEED-certified buildings in the world.^[18]

Sustainability

Sustainability is central to the Msheireb project, in terms of both the conservation of natural resources and the quality of its design.

All buildings within the development will target an average Gold rating under the internationally recognized LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification system developed by the US Green Building Council, while several buildings will aim for a Platinum rating.

The entire project features sustainable design that consumes fewer resources, generates less waste, costs less to operate, and achieves a reduced carbon footprint.

References