and being able to cycle to a stadium has been tried with
a few masterplans, but is probably going to be more
common, especially after what has just happened
around the world.”
Kitson describes how the pandemic is having an
impact and health coming to the fore. “We are asked
to look at thermal comfort, especially with some of the
designs we are doing in the hotter parts of the world,
but now we are being asked to look at air quality. We
have computer modeling techniques that allow us to
look at CO2 levels, air speeds and study air quality at
both precinct and stadia level. We are being asked to
study this before they open the stadium and precinct
to make sure the air quality, as well as the comfort, is
right. It’s been an interesting progression that comes
from the work we have been involved with designing
three of the stadia in Qatar and their precincts for the
FIFA 2022 World Cup.”
Stadia will no doubt be adapted accordingly
to meet safety regulations and guidelines but
adapting the traditional model of a stadium and
its precinct is a huge challenge. “We are working
with owners and committees across the world,”
says Sawarynski who points out that stadia are
a particularly challenging type of building type
to adapt. “However, those involved are coming
up with really impressive stuff, which may well
influence what happens in other building types. So,
school buildings might benefit from changes made
to stadium architecture for example.” n
infrastructure are among the elements that could prove
problematic for a project explains Rob Amphlett.
“Does it have enough power, drainage systems, is there
contamination on site, looking at multiple sites?” Due
diligence on a site is essential to fully understand the
technical constraints. “If you get that wrong it feeds
into the whole project and can take a lot longer or cost
a lot more.”
Sustainable future
With the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic this
poses even further questions for planners and presents
more challenges, particularly when it comes to mass
public assembly. The effects from this relatively short
period of time where stadia have stood empty could be
felt at sports venues forever. The virus has had an
immediate effect on masterplanning for informing
decisions further down the road, where space,
human interaction, hospitality areas and hygiene
in general have become even more important
than they were previously.
“We are living in a very different world now,”
Matt Kitson, Hilson Moran’s regional director
Qatar, reflects. “It is a world far more conscious
of sustainability and a growing awareness of
other vulnerabilities including the potential
disruption to a stadium and surrounding area
posed by the dangers of virus infection. “The
integration of the transport within a masterplan is
vitally important and the integration of rail and trams
Studying pedestrian
comfort within the
precinct as well as
stadium is a key aspect
of projects, particularly
in warm weather climates
“We have computer modeling techniques that allow us
to look at CO2 levels, air speeds and study air quality at
both precinct and stadia level”
Matt Kitson, regional director Qatar, Hilson Moran
MASTERPLANNING
30 www.stadia-magazine.com June 2020
/www.stadia-magazine.com