The announcement that Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been met with some criticism, with a lot of people doubting the small nation would have the infrastructure for such an event. Well, the Qataris are showing that no problem is insurmountable with the right amount of ingenuity… and if you throw enough money at it. One solution currently under development is the building of floating hotels to accommodate the massive influx of visitors expected to fly in for the tournament.
Designed by Finnish firm Sigge Architects, it will be part of a series of floating hotels and luxury apartments that will form a completely new man-made island off the coast of Doha. Designed in partnership with Global Accommodation Management, Oryx Island is set to receive an amazing 25,000 guests!
Expected to be a space-saving, energy-efficient structure, it will also provide shelter from the searing desert heat. The project is set to be completed in 7 to 8 years, and will be developed by Barwa Real Estate Co, a local firm partly owned by the government, at a cost of $5.5 million.
