By Elizabeth Hopkirk www.bdonline.co.uk
UNStudio has been appointed principal architect for Qatar’s four-line, 100-station transit system.
The Qatar Integrated Railway Project (QIRP) will be the main public transport system for the Greater Doha Area around the capital.
Ben van Berkel’s practice is creating a set of design guidelines, architectural details and material outlines that will ensure the whole network has visual clarity and quality.
The architect said: “Traditional Qatari architectural features are reinterpreted to incorporate new, transformative qualities which capture daylight and direct this into the interiors, creating uplifting and luminous atmospheres.”
The goal of the QIRP is to create a service which encourages the use of public transportation as a valid alternative to private transportation for the population of Doha.
Phase one will have around 35 stations, with a further 60 to follow in phase two on a total of four lines. More info and gallery
