From famous buildings to slides, Qatar's "rich" is not a local squander
An international event can bring a country or region not only the event itself, or short-term tourism revenue, but a global impression from vague to clear or even more three-dimensional. The recent example, click into this year's World Cup entry, I don't know if it is a joke or a true feeling, there is already a group of users who call themselves Qatari Prince Face Fans; And people's labels about Qatar have also extended from "rich" to more.
"Having money" is certainly not a bad thing, but it's easy to fall into stereotypes. For example, it feels that although its elite still wears uniform clothing, it must wear gold and silver; Everywhere the land can be seen is golden light, with a sense of local tyrant-like profligacy. But in fact, in terms of architecture alone, there are some very modern buildings - even children's amusement parks.
In order to prepare for the World Cup, Qatar has built and improved many public facilities, such as the Doha Modern Playground, mentioned next.
This is like a Qatari version of the folk village and window of the world, designed by British artist Shezad Dawood in collaboration with Qatari architect Fatma Al Sehlawi and British architecture firm Delvendahl Martin, condensing the representative architecture of the capital Qaja into it, so that children can build their awareness of the beauty of their architecture through daily and entertainment methods.
The four buildings are the Qatar Post Office, Qatar University, Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, and the National Theatre and Ministry of Information.
Qatar did not have an independent postal service structure until 1950, and all correspondence needed to pass through neighboring Bahrain. In July 1950, Qatar built a post office with its own postmark, marking a major step in modernization. Here, Qatar Post Office's iconic "pigeon shed" is transformed into a slide, dissolving the sense of heaviness and allowing people to naturally step into history.
Qatar University is the only public university in Qatar and is located in the northern suburbs of Doha. The distinctive masrabiya (literally a large wine glass) has a cylindrical exterior transformed into a miniature climbing wall that glows yellow at night.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts is the epitome of Qatar's artistic and humanistic development, where arcades have been transformed into passageways that children and even adults can enjoy.
Sheraton Hotel is Doha's first five-star hotel, opened in 1982. The appearance is like a pyramid, subverting the popular but conservative square structure of the time, and its superior location allows visitors to fully experience the environmental characteristics of Qatar's "sea in the desert". The designer placed its silhouette in this park and installed a swing to bring a relaxing feeling.
It is worth mentioning that the designers also carefully considered the layout of the location: "These game facilities have a directional correspondence with their original buildings, especially the National Theatre and the Qatar Post Office, which are located on the north and south sides of the amusement park, and the Sheraton Hotel is also not far northeast along the Koenigche River." ”
As a country full of world-renowned architectural designers, the ontology of these buildings is really not TOP. But they are a smart idea in the sense that they embody Qatar's progress towards modernization and allow children in the capital to learn more about the landmarks they see almost every day through in-depth play.