38 ONDERWERP AL JANOUB STADIUM, , Broadcasting to the world By Ruth Slavid © Dow Photography

ONDERWERP 39 Lighting the Al Janoub stadium that will be used for the 2022 international football tournament in Qatar was a demanding technical challenge. Working with lighting designer AECOM, Signify had to provide a solution that worked with the geometry of Architects’ beautiful and futuristic design. The result is a triumph for lighting, architecture and football.

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The dramatic, pleated form of the Al Janoub the super slow-motion action replays, the July 2017 Supreme Committee Stadium in Qatar reflects its coastal location demanded by broadcasters and viewers Competition Venues requirements. by referencing a dhow, the traditional boat alike. The lighting also needs to make These guidelines and requirements of the region. One of the eight stadia that the spectators feel comfortable and safe, specify the quality of light in terms are being constructed for the international enabling them to navigate the seating, of both color rendering and color football tournament in 2022, Al Janoub is and possibly provide some entertainment temperature. Color rendering had to a bravura piece of design by Zaha Hadid before the match. It can also give the be better than 90 percent to ensure Architects. Inaugurated on 16 May 2019 for exterior of the building a presence at night that people will see on their screens the Amir Cup Final, it has an exciting form to add to the overall stadium experience. a true representation of what is that is appropriate both to the game and happening on the pitch. There are the climate – and that posed considerable At Al Janoub these requirements were also strict guidelines concerning the challenges in terms of lighting. at the highest level, because of the variability of light striking both vertical importance of televising such a prestigious and horizonal surfaces. Lighting plays several complementary and tournament. When it comes to hosting equally important roles in stadia that are and televising international football For instance, horizontal surfaces need used for world events. It must light the pitch tournaments, the governing football to have a light level between one and so that the players can see what they are federations set out stringent criteria. two times the 2000 Lux specified for doing. It must provide the correct lighting, The design team had to satisfy them vertical surfaces. The ratio of minimum flicker-free Ultra-HD 4k, for the TV cameras while working with the limitations of the to maximum intensity across the surface to be able to broadcast an accurate geometry of the stadium and of the climate, must be more than 0.7, and of minimum representation of the match and capture as per the FIFA 2018 guidelines and to average more than 0.8. This is slightly

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more stringent than for vertical surfaces, opening pitch cover, designed by Schlaich LED lighting equipment, which is more because it is the lighting of horizontal Bergermann Partner, to provide protection space hungry than conventional metal surfaces that is most critical for television from the searing summer sun. The result is halide lighting. cameras. a stadium that is relatively low, preventing the usual solution of placing lighting as Vivek Sreekumaran, senior system engineer Lee Barker-Field, head of lighting at high as possible to keep it out of the with Signify, explained the advantages of AECOM and lead consultant on the project, primary directions of view. LED and connected lighting system for this explained, ‘Satisfying TV broadcast project, the second Qatar tournament requirements was a major requirement. AECOM worked with the architects to stadium for which Signify has supplied Because of the unusual architecture of slightly push up the edges of the building Interact Sports software, the system that the stadium, this wasn’t as straightforward envelope. Sections could not give an connects all of the lighting in the stadium. as on other projects.’ adequate understanding of the geometry, The benefits are additional functionality, so it had to be modeled in 3D – a task the ease of control and the ability to have The stadium, which will house made more difficult by the fact that the dynamic lighting, creating a variety of 40,000 spectators during the 2022 world concept architecture was in Rhino, and pre-match scenes to deliver best fan football tournament’s group and quarter- the structural design in Revit! experience. final matches, will be reduced to The conclusion was that a service walkway 20,000 seats capacity for legacy use. was needed to follow the line of the building Because of the extremely high ambient The geometry has been designed to envelope and carry the equipment. This temperatures, the 458 Philips ArenaVision bring spectators, in both modes, as close had to be as close to the underside of the Gen 2 floodlights that AECOM specified to the action as possible. It also has an roof as possible, but with room for the are not the most powerful available.

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© Dow Photography © Dow Photography © Dow Photography

And there was a concern about their Installing the lighting was a major positioning – directly under the overhang undertaking. Signify worked with AECOM of the roof, effectively in a hot air pocket. to draw up a detailed plan of where The most sensitive part of the light is the every light was supposed to be installed. control gear, and therefore AECOM took Then, once they were all in position, the decision to position this remotely from it checked the aim of each one. the lights themselves. It also programmed several scenes to “Signify were a good supply chain partner,” be used before matches. The lighting Barker-Field said. “This was a new is monitored and controlled using Interact emerging technology when we were Sports software. This also allowed the planning the project three years ago. stadium to simplify the management of Some of the equipment was in the early pitch, façade and entertainment lighting, launch phase – technical information and at the same time deliver the best was only available on special request, fan experience with customized light shows. this included information on high ambient temperatures. They listened to the The lighting of the seating areas was more requirements that we had. They were at straightforward, with 109 Philips ClearFlood the head of where the technology was at.” installed.

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AECOM was also involved in the external Related article Client lighting of the stadium, where it worked Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to achieve an effect that would complement Lee Barker-Field, the architecture, and to position lighting Pioneer of Light Architect Zaha Hadid Architects poles in a way that would provide this ↩ page 14 Patrick Schumacher, Johannes Hoffmann effect, without being visually intrusive. Structural engineering In addition to the geometry of the AECOM London building, the design team is installing solar harvesting to drive a cooling system. Lighting designer AECOM London The architecture is exciting and appropriate, Lee Barker-Field and the lighting design and execution will ensure that the experience will be Installer great for players, spectators and the Midmac, Porr, Besix many millions around the world watching on television. Luminaires Philips ArenaVision Gen 2 flood Philips ClearFlood large

Lighting systems Interact Sports

Websites www.qfa.qa www.sc.qa www.zaha-hadid.com www.aecom.com www.lighting.philips.com www.interact-lighting.com/sports © Dow Photography

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