The first renders of the newly designed 115,000-seat football stadium, set to host the 2030 football World Cup with Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, have been made public. This design of Grand Stade Hassan II Stadium proposal by Oualalou + Choi and Populous is located in Benslimane, 40 kilometers from Casablanca.
Other notable designers who participated in the stadium design competition were Herzog & de Meuron, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Foster + Partners.
The stadium facility design takes cues from Moroccan culture and its historical past (Moussem tents), a translucent tent-like roof structure supported by angular columns, which creates a dramatic effect against the natural landscape while also presenting a modern approach to stadium architecture.
This stadium’s construction involves the expertise of engineering firms like Maffeis Engineering and Rider Levett Bucknall to meet the FIFA standards and, therefore, can host multiple games in the future.
Low carbon materials such as CarbonX are included in the construction process and the design is expected to receive the famous EnergyStar certification and will be 45-60% more energy-efficient than any other building while being capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions and high wind speeds.
With the groundwork for this ambitious project already started, Morocco is ready to become co-hosts and create a new home for their national football team, providing cutting-edge infrastructure.
Tarik Oualalou, the founding partner at Oualalou + Choi shared his vision for the project,”The Grand Stade de Casablanca is deeply rooted in Moroccan culture, with its traditions and contemporary expressions. It is rooted in ancient and primordial figures: the Moussem, the tent, and the garden, as well as the topography and landscapes of Morocco,” he continued. “It’s a generous space, open to the world and respectful to the nature it protects. The Grand Stade de Casablanca is the embodiment of the great tradition of Moroccan hospitality.”
