The Principal Designer of the Grand Stade Hassan II de Casablanca, Tarik Oualalou, said the stadium’s unmatched capacity, infrastructure, and strategic location make it the front-runner for the 2030 World Cup final, outshining stadiums in co-host nations Spain and Portugal.
“I don’t think they’ll rival the Grand Stade Hassan II de Casablanca in capacity, both intrinsically and with everything that’s around it,” he said in an interview with Hespress EN.
Oualalou and his Paris-based architecture firm Oualalou + Choi partnered with British firm Populous to create the ambitious project on the Grand Stade Hassan II.
“Grand Stade Hassan II de Casablanca can host the 2030 World Cup final without difficulty, offering the best possible equipment for the event, which will be jointly organized with Spain and Portugal,”he said.
This is particularly true because, according to Oualalou, “the new stadium is the largest in the world and is situated in a completely open area, making it much easier to handle while also highlighting its location in Africa.”
The Grand Stade Hassan II is set to be the world’s largest football stadium in a bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final.
Inspired by traditional Moroccan social gatherings known as “moussem,” the stadium’s design features a striking tented roof that rises above the desert landscape.
Its two ends, each capable of accommodating nearly 30,000 spectators, will be supported by a unique aluminum lattice structure.
The venue will also boast five levels of hospitality, including a royal box, to cater to 12,000 corporate guests.
The stadium will also feature 32 stairways leading to elevated gardens, offering panoramic views of the surrounding area.
The architect underscored the stadium’s unique relationship with nature, saying that “it talks about not just the building but how the building can protect what’s around,” emphasizing “its function as a breathing arboretum or conservatory for nature and reflecting the 21st-century architectural need for structures to be more than just shelters.”
He also said that “the stadium is a testimony to Moroccan culture, not in a folkloric way, but by embodying values such as hospitality and bringing people together, using the tent form as a symbol that is both very Moroccan and also universal.”
Oualalou highlighted that “people will feel a connection with Moroccan culture while also understanding intersections,” stating, “it’s about both bringing people into your home and focusing not on the things that make us different, but rather on the things that unite us.”
The architect “distinguished the Grand Stade Hassan II’s tent concept from Qatar’s design, clarifying that Qatar’s stadium is not a tent structure and is the opposite of their design.”
The project has been under construction since August and is progressing very well, he revealed, adding that it will incorporate plenty of special technologies that will set it apart from other stadiums.
“It’s the largest tent-sized structure ever built,” noted Oualalou, emphasizing that “in many ways, it is one of the most advanced construction projects in the world right now.”
He also mentioned that the new stadium would serve as a home for two major football clubs in Casablanca, Raja, and Wydad, allowing them to grow.
Morocco, along with Spain and Portugal, is co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, and the Grand Stade Hassan II is expected to play a pivotal role in the tournament.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.