Ahmad bin Ali Al Rayyan Stadium

While at Ramboll, Mark led a multidisciplinary team—including Pattern Architects, Ramboll, and Weston Williamson—from concept through to detailed design for this innovative desert stadium on the outskirts of Doha.

With temperatures regularly exceeding 50°C and strong winds being the norm, conventional pitch cooling systems were not viable. The original design included striking wind shields to allow the stadium to remain open to the sky while still being able to host summer matches in windy conditions. Driver by budget constraints, Mark guided the team through multiple rounds of value-focused design reviews, during which non-essential elements were carefully removed.

This process ultimately led to the relocation of concessions and other facilities outside the main structure, housed within distinctive ‘air-cooled dunes’. This solution not only eliminated the need for mechanical cooling to the dune areas, —significantly reducing costs—but also resulted in a unique design feature, demonstrating how value engineering and creativity can come together to deliver effective, elegant outcomes.