Stadium in a Box

The desert nation of Qatar is trying to win hosting duties for the 2022 World Cup. A new plan to build temporary stadia is helping to increase the country's chances.

1 minute read

April 30, 2010, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


By planning temporary venues for the multi-city event, organizers in Qatar are hoping to reduce the "white elephants" that these mega events tend to leave as a burden on the host.

"The idea is an expanded version of the original vision for London's 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford, which was to have been reduced from 80,000 to 28,000 seats after the Games but may now remain at a larger capacity. In-stadium cooling technology that is being developed to reduce temperatures for players and spectators that can average a sweltering 41 degrees in June – a huge handicap for any Middle Eastern bid – will also be shared with other countries that have to date found their climates incompatible with hosting major events."

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in Guardian

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