THE Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development opened its doors on December 4, 2011. In support of the country’s transformation to a knowledge-based economy, Qatar Foundation has made significant achievements in building and developing capacity for creativity and critical thinking through research in education and science. The Qatar National Convention Centre advances these objectives as the new global hub for ideas and innovation.
With its state-of-the-art facilities, cutting edge technology and iconic design, the QNCC today is one of the most sophisticated convention and exhibition centres in the world.
The project was given the go-ahead in 2004, with construction commencing two years later.
“The QNCC is not just a meeting place, it’s a vision that has materialised from years of hard work and dedication involving many multi-skilled teams,” he said.
Designed by renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, the Centre boasts a stunning signature façade, a 250 m long, curved steel tree structure reaching up to support the exterior canopy. The design of the building was inspired by the local Qatari icon, the Sidra tree, symbolizing Qatar Foundation’s three key pillars of education, science and research, and community development. The tree is a beacon of learning and comfort in the desert which traditionally provided shelter for scholars and poets to gather, and to exchange and share knowledge.
“The opening of the QNCC will undoubtedly advance Qatar in the field of infrastructure and build human capacity on a global scale,” says Saad Al Muhannadi, Qatar Foundation, vice president of Capital Projects and Facilities Management. “The Centre’s guests, experiencing our unique atmosphere, will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and brainstorm together for the future of Qatar in the modern world.” The Centre’s guests, experiencing our unique atmosphere, will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and brainstorm together for the future of Qatar in the modern world.”
With a 2,300 seat lyric theatre, three auditoria, a multipurpose conference hall for 4,000 guests, 40,000 sq m exhibition space and 52 meeting rooms, the Centre could accommodate 27,000 people in the venue at one time.
QNCC is the first of its kind built to the gold certification of the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (Leed). The building is designed to operate efficiently with innovations such as water conservation and energy-efficient fixtures.
Qatar’s goal is to achieve one of the most dynamic knowledge-based economies in the world, one that is dominated by information and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Qatar has one of the highest GDP per capita incomes in the world with massive investments in institutional infrastructure that is unprecedented in the region.
Mather-Brown said following the opening, the QNCC hosted the much-anticipated 20th World Petroleum Congress (WPC) and its 5,000 delegates from December 4 to 8, 2011.
This was the first Congress to be hosted in the Middle East and the largest oil and gas gathering in the world.