The country of Qatar has nearly finished its new arena for the 2022 World Cup. However, many are ridiculing the design of the building as the “vagina stadium.”
The Al Wakrah stadium is set to host the 2022 quarter-finals and features an innovative cooling system to keep fans cool in the arid desert climate of the oil-rich nation, the Daily Mail reported.
The tournament was also scheduled during the winter months in Qatar to avoid the searing Summer heat.
The arena was designed by the late British-Iraqi architect, Dame Zaha Hadid, who passed away suddenly in 2016.
The stadium is supposed to have been inspired by the sails of traditional dhow boats which was intended to be a tribute to Al Wakrah’s seafaring past.
Al Wakrah Stadium is looking awesome! Inspired by the late British-Iraqi architect Dame Zaha Hadid, the design is inspired by the sails of traditional dhow boats – in tribute to Al Wakrah's seafaring past. pic.twitter.com/zJIUezjEuk
— Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (@SCcorporate) February 3, 2019
Despite the reputation of its august designer, many are deriding the appearance of the building.
World Cup 'vagina stadium' is unveiled in Qatar as work is completed https://t.co/3H2e4Fqfhu
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 2, 2019
World Cup 'vagina stadium' is unveiled in Qatar https://t.co/3xXM0B5XQK #SPORT pic.twitter.com/Uszf66OGY2
— Steve Brookes MBE (@SteveBrookesMBE) May 2, 2019
The comparisons of the designs to a woman’s privates began as soon as Hadid unveiled the design. And she was none too happy about it.
“It’s really embarrassing they come up with nonsense stuff like this,” Hadid said in 2016 just before he died of a heart attack. “What are they saying? Everything with a hole in it is a vagina? That’s ridiculous.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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