Qatar Convention Center to Seek Gold

The 177,000 square meter Qatar National Convention Center, currently under construction, will be seeking a Gold certification under the LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) rating system upon its completion next year, according to a recent Inhabitat article on the building. If granted the certification, it will earn the distinction of being one of the world’s first high-performance green convention facilities.

The dramatic building—instantly recognizable for its superscale depiction of the sidra tree, a traditional Qatari symbol, along its front façade—will feature a whopping 3,700 square meters of solar panels, in addition to its other resource-saving features. Designed by Yamasaki Architects, the building is based on a concept by well-known Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and has a total budget of $720 million.

The building will contain 40,000 square meters of exhibition space; a conference hall for 4,000 delegates; a 2,300-seat lyric style theater; three additional tiered auditoria; theatre-style seating, and banquet space for up to 10,000 people in exhibition halls; a total of 57 meeting rooms; lounges and hospitality suites; a business center; and media rooms. The massive building is located in Education City, a new global educational hub under development.

The aforementioned rooftop solar panels will provide roughly 12 percent of the building’s total power, according to the article. Inside, the center will be outfitted with occupancy sensors, water-efficient fixtures, LED lighting, carbon dioxide monitors, and variable air-volume systems that minimize the use of resources and improve the center’s indoor air quality. The center will also boast a special wireless convention management system that reduces the need for paper while providing convention delegates with free Internet access.

Learn more about the Qatar National Convention Center on its website.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com