The Al Wahda Arches (also called 5/6 Arch, Qatar Arch, Gateway Arch) is a monumental pair of 20° inclined steel arches, spanning the "5/6 interchange" of the Lusail expressway, Qatar which connects West Bay with Lusail City. It is the tallest monument in the country and has received a 2020 International Design Award[1] and 2018 ENR Global Best Project award.[5] Intended to be viewed while in motion as an "immersive public artwork", the arches are connected to each other by a cable net – a reference to Qatar's pearl diving heritage.[1] The structure itself consists of 54 large steel pieces, weighing over 9,000 tons, while the base of the arches are clad in Limra Limestone from Turkey.[2]
 | |
 Interactive map pinpointing the arches' location | |
| 25°20′7″N 51°31′6″E / 25.33528°N 51.51833°E | |
| Location | Lusail Expressway, Onaiza, Qatar |
|---|---|
| Designer | Erik Behrens, AECOM[1] |
| Type | Arch |
| Material | Steel & cable[2] |
| Width | 147m, 140m |
| Height | 100 m, 78m |
| Weight | 9,000+ tons |
| Beginning date | 2013 |
| Completion date | 2020 |
| Dedicated date | 16 December 2017[3] |
| Dedicated to | "5/6": the Qatar diplomatic crisis[4] |
The monument, suspended viewing platform, and associated visitor centre were commissioned by Ashghal (the public works authority), designed by German architect Erik Behrens for AECOM,[6][7] engineering by Maffeis Engineering[8] and constructed by Eversendai – with an intended completion date of 2016.[9] At a cost of $74m, construction began in December 2013 and after partial completion was inaugurated along with the expressway for National Day celebrations in December 2017.[4][10] Due to construction occurring during the 2017 Qatar blockade the arches have taken on a local cultural significance of "resilience", and are now known as the 5/6 Arches (referring to 5 June when the diplomatic crisis began) along with "5/6 interchange" and the neighbouring "5/6 park".[4][11][12][13] The construction expressway interchange and Arches replaced the "Rainbow (Arch) roundabout" which used to stand on the site.[14][8]
In 2018 Ashghal and Qatar Post issued a set of commemorative stamps featuring the arches which integrated with an associated augmented reality phone application.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Gateway Arches". International Design Awards. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ a b "Al Wahda Arches". Classic Stone. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ "Qatar's tallest arched monument opened". www.thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ a b c "Al Wahda Arches: A gateway to innovation". QRMedia. 2020-10-11. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ "Global Best Projects 2018, Road/Highway & Project of the Year Finalist: Lusail Expressway". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Erik Behrens | ARCHIVIBE". ARCHIVIBE architecture and design vibes. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Al Wahda Arches: The biggest and tallest monument in Qatar". www.iloveqatar.net. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ a b "AL WAHDA ARCHES". Maffeis Engineering. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ "Eversendai subsidiary bags RM269m job in Qatar". The Star. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Expressway boasts largest arc, four lanes on each side". Qatar-Tribune. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Third anniversary of resilience sees 5/6 Park project's main works completed". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). 2020-06-05. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ Apen-Sadler, Dianne (December 21, 2020). "New park with huge plant maze opens in Onaiza". Time Out.
- ^ qatarliving (2020-12-28). "Everything you need to know about the 5/6 park featuring a large maze in the shape of Qatar's map". Qatar Living. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Goodbye Arch Roundabout". Doha News | Qatar. 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Ashghal, Q-Post launch 5/6 Interchange postage stamp". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
