With outdoor temperatures that can reach 50 degrees in the heat of summer, residents of the Gulf definitely need to think twice before heading out, if only for a quick Frappuccino. But luckily for residents of Doha, Qatar plans to build the world’s first outdoor air-conditioned plaza to defeat the unforgiving temperatures.
Developers are putting significant effort into building ground cooling technology to keep Qatar residents comfortable, whether they’ll be doing some outdoor retail therapy, taking a quick bite on the sidewalk or perhaps watching sports games.
The world’s first outdoor air-conditioned plaza, which is set to open in 2016, will be built in the new Katara Cultural Village and will take up around a quarter of the City Center Mall’s retail area in West Bay, which is Doha’s current financial district and city center.
With such an asset, the commercial development, which is managed by Ali Bin Ali Group, has already set itself apart from the glut of commercial centers that will be opening in Qatar over the next few years.
The 38,000 square meters climate-controlled open-air Katara Plaza will also feature a dedicated children’s mall designed to look like a wrapped present, as well as the Middle East’s first Evian spa and a Galleries Lafayette department store, according to Doha News .
Nabeel Ali Bin Ali, vice-chairman of the Ali Bin Ali Group, told Doha News : “We expect that Katara Plaza (will) unlock a unique world-class shopping experience offering the Qatari market many first-of-its-kind experiences.”
Dina Hamadah, a long-term Gulf resident, thinks that outdoor cooling-systems are what the Gulf region needs for it to be an ideal place to live: “I love the amenities, conveniences and quality of life you get here in the Gulf, if not for the horrific heat during spring and summer months. Outdoor air-conditioning seems very exciting. I am looking forward to that.”
The World Cup 2022, which will take place in Qatar, was initially scheduled for June through July, which are the country's hottest months of the year - to comply with the European League. As prep work, ground-cooling technology was exhibited during public screenings of the 2014 World Cup at the Cultural Village. Many spectators actually said that they were cold while in the cooling areas.
However, some experts have voiced their skepticism about the efficiency of these outdoor cooling systems. And now that the FIFA executive committee has moved the new dates of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to November/December, we will never know about their efficacy on a large scale.
Abbas Chamseddine, structure engineer at Midmac, is currently contributing to the construction of the World Cup Stadium in Qatar. He believes that the outdoor cooling system isn't economically viable or efficient.
"The outdoor cooling project is a waste in my opinion, at least for the FIFA World Cup. Otherwise there logically wouldn't have been that much effort to move the dates of the whole event to cooler months. The system is going to help somehow, but it's definitely not what people expect out of the exciting idea of an outdoor cooling system."
Given that Qatar is one of the least energy efficient nations in the world, we are inclined to agree.