qatar world cup memorial honors deceased laborers

week architecture conceptualizes qatar world cup memorial

In 2014, WEEK Architecture proposed a memorial monument dedicated to the migrant workers who have lost their lives while constructing Qatar’s stadiums for the anticipated 2022 FIFA World Cup. The conceptual Qatar World Cup Memorial takes shape as an evolving, twisting megatall skyscraper composed of stacked concrete modules. Based on four modules per floor and two staircases per module, the project has a multitude of possible routes. Each of the blocks represents an individual deceased worker, and as the casualties increase, so does the height of the tower.

Today, just a few days before the World Cup is set to kick off and all work is complete, the tower stands at a soaring height of 4.4 km, commemorating 6,751 fallen laborers. The final height, and its corresponding death toll, is in fact three times more than predicted by the architects at the time of the project’s conception.

Boldly questioning the alarming statistics and the dangerous conditions for the event’s preparation, Qatar World Cup Memorial mirrors the country’s iconic skyline with a desolate skyscraper. Standing tall far from the city, the tower offers the families from Nepal, India, and other nationalities a place of remembrance for their loved ones who passed away while helping to build the much-awaited structures in the city of Doha.

conceptual Qatar World Cup Memorial | all images courtesy WEEK Architecture

the megatall skyscraper questions the alarming death toll

Since Qatar was designated to host the 2022 World Cup in 2010, there has been a concerningly increasing account of healthy young migrant workers suddenly passing away due to ‘natural causes’. Local Qatari authorities reported cardiac and respiratory arrest as primary causes. However, as concluded by Amnesty International under the guidance of health experts, these reported reasons are no are reasonable cause of death.

In fact, it is believed that overworking in unfavorable conditions, such as long working hours under the extreme Arabian peninsula heat, have led to an increase in sunstroke, dehydration and mere exhaustion. These are the more likely causes of the sudden deaths of many otherwise healthy young and middle-aged men.

This scandal also questions the responsibility of FIFA. It was not until 2017 that it published an important human rights policy. ‘But FIFA must find the legal means to impose respect for human rights in the host country. Football is the most popular sport in the world and the World Cup is the most unifying event,’ comment the team at WEEK Architects.

an evolving, twisting tower composed of stacked concrete modules

In a striking revelation, The Guardian reports that: ‘more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup 10 years ago.’ ‘The findings, compiled from government sources, mean an average of 12 migrant workers from these five south Asian nations have died each week since the night in December 2010 when the streets of Doha were filled with ecstatic crowds celebrating Qatar’s victory.’

‘Data from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka revealed there were 5,927 deaths of migrant workers in the period 2011–2020. Separately, data from Pakistan’s embassy in Qatar reported a further 824 deaths of Pakistani workers, between 2010 and 2020.’

each block represents a laborer who lost their life constructing the football stadiums

the tower more than doubled in height between 2014 and 2020

2012

2014: four years after Qatar was designated to host the upcoming World Cup

2020: the sombre new skyscraper takes form

1/2

the project has a multitude of possible routes accessing the modules

plan diagrams

project info:

name: Qatar World Cup Memorial
designer: Week Architecture

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom