From energy efficient superstructures to repurposed old buildings or the award-winning smart city of Mshereib, Qatar is reaping the rewards from laying the foundations of a greener future.
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00:00 (wind whooshing)
00:02 (upbeat music)
00:03 - It is very important to keep all this old features
00:06 for the fire station, because it is a legacy.
00:09 - We aim to change the way people think
00:12 of how to live in an urban city and urban downtown.
00:15 And we always aim to raise the bar and raise the standards.
00:18 (upbeat music)
00:20 - Hello, and welcome to Qatar 365.
00:24 I'm Laila Humaira, and on this episode,
00:27 we take a look at how Qatar is embracing
00:30 sustainable urban living.
00:32 From energy efficient superstructures
00:34 to an award-winning smart city,
00:36 the country is reaping the rewards
00:39 from laying the foundations of a greener future.
00:42 But first, I went in search of one
00:44 of Qatar's oldest buildings that's been given a facelift
00:48 and a new purpose.
00:49 (upbeat music)
00:52 From the house of everyday heroes
00:54 to a haven for artists all around the world,
00:57 this is Doha Fire Station.
01:00 Built in 1982, it was once the home
01:03 of Qatar's first civil defense authority.
01:05 - The fire station here used to be
01:08 one of the spectacular building.
01:10 It was like one of the building
01:12 who have got like the architect language of the '80s,
01:16 like the Sheraton Hotel,
01:18 the main building of the post office.
01:20 So it has this type of design,
01:23 which is reflecting that era.
01:25 - Today, the fire station is a contemporary art space
01:28 for self-expression, an avenue for exchanging diverse ideas
01:33 and a meeting ground for the creative community.
01:35 - The vibe here we are creating
01:37 through the indoor exhibitions, outdoor exhibitions,
01:41 murals around the building.
01:43 It's really putting you in a space
01:45 where there's a lot of inspiration,
01:48 a lot of beautiful vibe you have it here.
01:50 - While many areas of the fire station
01:52 have been refurbished into new workspaces,
01:55 there are some original elements purposely kept
01:58 as a reminder of the building's identity,
02:01 like this drill tower, which once served as a facility
02:05 for routine exercises and training.
02:08 - It is very important to keep all these old features
02:12 for the fire station because it is a legacy.
02:15 The younger generation,
02:16 they can see how used to be the fire station.
02:19 - The tower is now an imposing structure
02:22 with a colorful facade,
02:24 a beacon of expression and creativity.
02:27 It's also something the museum hopes to embody
02:29 with its artists in residence initiative.
02:32 - Every year we are receiving like hundreds of applications,
02:36 but we are accepting 15, half of them Qataris
02:40 and the other half for the people
02:42 who's living in Doha, the expat.
02:45 So this type of like merging the experience
02:50 and inspiration from different backgrounds of artists
02:54 and exchanging all this experience,
02:57 supporting the artists to understand
02:59 and to know different technology, ideas.
03:03 - Someone who's benefited from the program
03:06 is artist and filmmaker, Mohamed Al Hamadi.
03:09 - As an artist in residence within the seventh program
03:12 from last year's, it's just an amazing opportunity.
03:16 It just broaden your potential,
03:19 open up your scope and helps you reach out
03:24 the idea that you have in your head.
03:27 - For nine months every year,
03:28 the initiative provides artists like Mohamed
03:30 a studio space, mentorship opportunities
03:34 and guidance from curators.
03:36 - It's always good to be among a network of artists
03:39 or a network of creatives.
03:41 In general, creatives feed into each other.
03:45 - For the Doha Fire Station,
03:47 its legacy is quite literally cemented in its walls.
03:51 A celebration of an honorable purpose in its past life,
03:54 reborn to nurture the next generation
03:56 of talented individuals, all heroes in their own right.
04:01 - To use a building, this is a very important.
04:03 This building have got a lot of effort in that time,
04:07 supporting and defense on the community, saving the people.
04:12 And now I've got another sort of role to inspire
04:16 and to create art.
04:18 - It's hard to talk about architectural marvels in Qatar
04:25 without talking about Misharab.
04:27 Known as the world's first sustainable
04:29 downtown regeneration project,
04:31 Misharab is one of the world's smartest cities
04:34 that's about to get even smarter.
04:37 To find out how, I met Ali Al-Khawari,
04:39 the CEO of Misharab Properties.
04:44 So Ali, just in the last couple of months,
04:47 there's been so much buzz about Misharab Properties
04:49 and Misharab Downtown Doha.
04:51 Your company has been named as one of the most
04:53 innovative companies in the region by Fast Company.
04:56 And Misharab was highlighted at COP28
04:59 as the shining example of how a sustainable
05:02 and futuristic city should look like.
05:04 How are you building on these achievements
05:06 to further develop the business in line with Qatar's goals?
05:10 - We consider ourselves as one of the Qatari
05:13 real estate development leading in the sustainability side.
05:17 It was new back to that time,
05:19 but thanks God nowadays it becomes very norm
05:21 and everybody is trying to adapt
05:23 and raise the bar itself step by step.
05:26 Because of its location and the connectivity,
05:28 like the metro station and the tram itself around the city,
05:32 that make it a hub for all type of generation,
05:35 especially the young generation.
05:36 - Let's talk about Misharab as a smart city.
05:38 You've just signed this huge new deal with Microsoft
05:41 to boost the high-tech capabilities of the city.
05:45 Can you tell us more about this partnership
05:47 and how it will once again transform Misharab?
05:50 - We would like to enhance the experience in the cities
05:53 for individual, for guests who's coming to the city
05:55 just to experience what's going on in the city itself.
05:58 Plus the retailer owner,
06:00 we would like to have different experience.
06:02 Plus the commercial and also the resident
06:05 who lives in the city.
06:06 Technology is being updated in a state of day by day
06:10 and now minutes by minutes actually.
06:12 And we need to cope with what's going on in the worldwide.
06:15 If you look at our mission,
06:17 we aim to change the way people think
06:19 of how to live in urban city and urban downtown.
06:23 And we always aim to raise the bar and raise the standards.
06:25 - Just a short tram ride away is the Baraha,
06:28 the heart of Misharab,
06:30 where its most outstanding features are on full display.
06:34 And I'm here to meet Fatima Fauzi,
06:36 who heads Misharab Properties' sustainability team
06:39 for a look at what makes urban living
06:41 particularly special here.
06:43 So every bit of Misharab Downtown Doha
06:47 was built with intention and purpose
06:50 down to the very details and motives.
06:53 But what are some of your favorite parts of Misharab?
06:57 - Tough question.
06:57 You're right.
07:00 Every detail in Misharab was imbued
07:03 with significant and total thoughts of doing it.
07:07 Now, starting from, let's say, the top,
07:09 you can see this retactable roof
07:11 where you can open it in summer and close it in winter,
07:15 really giving a beautiful perspective to the Baraha
07:19 throughout the season of the year.
07:22 Cascading from down there,
07:23 you could look at the really fixed shades of the building,
07:27 which also add to the overall system of cooling the Baraha.
07:31 Another favorite feature in the Baraha
07:34 is the geometry pattern that you could see everywhere.
07:37 Now, the architects have shown a really skill
07:40 in utilizing these details.
07:43 The pattern is used in stone flooring.
07:46 You could also see it engraved on the stone wall.
07:50 And the same pattern is also being used
07:52 as a stencil in the glass.
07:54 This small detail unify the space
07:57 really very, very beautifully.
07:59 - This is an unconventional convention center
08:05 designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.
08:09 The iconic Qatar National Convention Center's facade
08:12 features two intertwined cedar trees,
08:15 which span 250 meters.
08:18 The native Qatari tree represents growth and survival,
08:21 even in the harshest of environments.
08:24 Adel Halim takes us inside the largest exhibition center
08:28 in the Middle East,
08:29 designed with sustainability at its core.
08:34 The Qatar National Convention Center
08:36 is where modern design meets cultural heritage.
08:39 The architectural marvel is symbolic
08:41 of the country's ability
08:42 to incorporate contemporary aesthetics
08:44 without losing touch with its roots, literally.
08:48 Just as it provides cover to the building's glass facade,
08:51 the cedar tree historically provided shade and shelter
08:54 to travelers and scholars alike.
08:57 - The symbol is exactly the strong roots
09:00 within the Qatari culture.
09:02 So the cedar tree was able to grow in the desert,
09:06 and it's normally a very difficult environment
09:09 to grow for a tree.
09:09 So this symbolism is representing
09:12 the strong roots of this country.
09:14 - And to help fertilize those roots,
09:16 sustainability played a big role in the design process,
09:19 from energy-saving programs to efficient water usage.
09:23 The QNCC is designed to be one third more efficient
09:27 than a similarly designed building.
09:29 - We have a unique system that collects, filters,
09:33 and treats the gray water to be used within our washrooms
09:38 and also through our irrigation system.
09:41 We also use very efficient water fixtures
09:45 that helps us reducing by 40% the usage of the water.
09:50 - And with so many sunny days in Doha,
09:52 solar panels were an obvious addition.
09:56 - We have roughly 3,500 square meters of our roof
09:59 covered by solar panels.
10:01 Actually, this helps us to offset
10:03 roughly 1,100 tons of carbon emission,
10:07 and also covers almost 12% of our need.
10:11 - There are exhibition halls, auditoriums,
10:14 meeting rooms, and a ballroom,
10:16 all things you'd expect in a convention center,
10:18 except for one massive, creepy, crawly creature.
10:22 - Now talk about a conversation starter.
10:24 This iconic giant spider greets visitors here
10:27 at the convention center.
10:28 But while Louise Bourgeois' "Maman" is a towering,
10:31 intimidating sight upon first glance,
10:34 go deeper and there's much more to the story.
10:36 This nine meter tall sculpture is an expectant mother
10:40 made of marble, bronze, and stainless steel,
10:42 and explores the idea of motherhood.
10:45 It's also Bourgeois' tribute to her own mother,
10:47 who she lost at the age of 21.
10:49 - It represents the maternal protection
10:52 and also the intricate nature of a relationship.
10:56 It gives us, let's say, a big dimension
11:00 and a big symbolism to our main foyer.
11:03 Actually, it's a well-known sculpture all over the world.
11:06 - And soon after playing host to the world's media
11:08 for the 2022 FIFA World Cup,
11:10 the QNCC hosted 114 events in 2023.
11:15 - All the things that we do,
11:16 it's, let's say, not only for the QNCC sustainability scope,
11:22 but also to align our ideas to the country strategy
11:26 for the long term.
11:28 - Whether it's energy efficient megastructures
11:32 like the QNCC, or breathing new life into older buildings
11:36 like the Doha Fire Station,
11:38 Qatar is committed to beautifying a landscape
11:41 that's pleasing to the eye and respectful to the environment.
11:45 We hope you've enjoyed this episode,
11:46 but that's all the time we have for now.
11:49 For more, check out euronews.com
11:51 and connect with us through our hashtag.
11:52 Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time
11:55 on Qatar 365.
11:56 (upbeat music)