FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Lusail Stadium | 3D Rendering © Illustrate My Design
the making of the Iconic stadium FOR the fifa world cup Qatar 2022™
Lusail Stadium is a newly-built stadium for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. It serves as the premiere soccer stadium for the event seats 88,966 spectators, and will later serve for other sporting events and concerts. Designed by London-based Foster + Partners, the design of the stadium is highly impressive and it has garnered attention from all over the world for its grandeur and stunning architectural design. What sets this stadium apart from the rest are its architectural and lighting design. Internationally known lighting consultant, Claude R. Engle Lighting Consultants defined the early concepts of the lighting design. Illustrate My Design (IMD) had the pleasure of working alongside these firms to visualize the stadium in 3D. Let’s take a closer look to learn more about the design, 3D visualization process, and the extensive lighting studies completed in the 3D model for this remarkable structure.
Lighting Design
The lighting design for Lusail Stadium was created by renowned lighting designer Claude Engle IV, of Claude Engle Lighting Consultants, based in Washington, DC. The elaborate design includes LED lights placed strategically around the structure to emphasize specific features, creating the overall glow featured center stage on tv and in the press covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. IMD created 3D renderings to showcase how these ideas would look once implemented in real life. This allowed decision makers to refine the design, and perfect the final look for the stadium well before construction.
Architectural Design
The exterior of the stadium was designed to be aesthetically pleasing, with a triangular pattern, beautiful roof, and a band of Islamic script at the top of the façade perimeter, which was later removed from the final design. Foster + Partners incorporated curved forms, triangulated design structure, and an open stadium center to create an impressive design that is both practical and visually appealing. The use of LED lights complement the architectural vision, making sure that each part of the building stands out with its own distinct character.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Lusail Stadium | Light Meter
3D Rendering © Illustrate My Design
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Lusail Stadium | Façade Study
3D Rendering © Illustrate My Design
3D Visualization Process
In order to design and model the building elements of this spectacular structure, the architectural team used three commonly used software programs. Autodesk Revit, Rhino, and MicroStation for each element of the building, including exterior, interior, and roof. Each of these files were large and demanding on CPUs, making it difficult to seamlessly work in a single file at a time. IMD received these files separately, but the three elements of the building needed to be combined to successfully visualize the building. IMD optimized each file and combined them into one, manageable file. When the file was sent back was the first time the designers saw the building as a whole!
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Lusail Stadium | Roof Lighting
3D Rendering © Illustrate My Design
Lighting Study
Extensive research on how light interacts with different materials was conducted for designing the lighting plan of Lusail Stadium. Studies from various light sources and their effects on different surfaces such as steel and glass, paying close attention to how they interact with each other in order to create a unique atmosphere in any given space. Lighting levels, and options for various colored lighting effects were studied with accuracy in 3D with the use of IES files. From night-time games under floodlights to subtle accent lighting for later events, the lighting design beautifully addresses these conditions.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Lusail Stadium | Roof Lighting
3D Rendering © Illustrate My Design
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Lusail Stadium
3D Rendering © Illustrate My Design
Lusail Stadium is an amazing feat of modern architecture and design engineering. Its combination of impressive architectural design coupled with detailed lighting studies makes it one of a kind in terms of stadiums worldwide—a true testament to what can be achieved through careful planning and meticulous execution from both architects and designers alike! Whether you’re taking in a game at Lusail Stadium or watching it on television, you’re sure to be impressed by its grandeur as well as its intricate details thanks to its incredible architectural and lighting design!
IMD is proud to support top global firms such as Foster + Partners and Claude Engle Lighting Consultants on history making projects like the Lusail Stadium for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Daniel Zeballos
Co-Founder + Chief Creative Officer at IMD.