Populous & Oualalou + Choi design vast new venue for 2030 World Cup in Morocco

Initial designs have been revealed for the planned 115,000-capacity Grand Stade de Casablanca stadium in Morocco, projected to be the largest football stadium in the world. A consortium led by architects Oualalou + Choi and Tenderstream member Populous was awarded the contract to design the stadium , with engineering firms Maffeis Engineering, ME Engineering, Rider Levett Bucknall, Momentum, and SEPSI completing the team. The selection followed an international architectural design competition, which included proposals by Herzog & De Meuron, Zaha Hadid Architects, Foster + Partners, Cruz y Ortiz, GMP Architects and HPP Architects.

The stadium will be fully compliant for FIFA competitions, with the ability to host games at the FIFA World Cup 2030, following Morocco’s naming as joint hosts for the tournament alongside Spain and Portugal. It will also serve as the home of two local clubs. Preparation for groundworks to start is underway on a 100-hectare site in the town of El Mansouria, 38 km north of Casablanca, after public financing was approved in October 2023. François Clément, senior principal and president of Populous France, stated: “The Grand Stade de Casablanca is a cornerstone of King Mohammed VI’s vision to develop Morocco’s football infrastructure... The pace of construction works expected in Benslimane demonstrates the commitment of all parties involved to deliver this incredible project on time and within budget.”

The winning scheme draws inspiration from the traditional Moroccan social gathering known as a ‘moussem’, with the stadium structure set under a grand, tented roof that emerges as a dramatic intervention in the forested landscape. Tarik Oualalou, design principal and founding partner at Oualalou + Choi, commented: “The Grand Stade de Casablanca is deeply rooted in Moroccan culture, with its traditions and contemporary expressions. It is rooted in ancient and primordial figures: the Moussem, the tent, and the garden, as well as the topography and landscapes of Morocco.  It’s a generous space, open to the world and respectful to the Nature it protects. The Grand Stade de Casablanca is the embodiment of the great tradition of Moroccan hospitality.”

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

This tender was first published by Tenderstream on 25.10.2023 here

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