PRW
Published: January 3, 2014 12:41 pm ET
Updated: January 3, 2014 12:45 pm ET
PVC is at the heart of a showcase stadium design that was part of Qatar's bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The proof-of-concept, 500-seat structure, was constructed in just four months and comprises a five-a-side football pitch with opening roof and walls.
The multi-skinned roof structure is clad with screens of triangulated PVC fabric supported on a secondary steel frame, with an inner cladding of triangulated 'pillows' of translucent membrane, keeping radiant and conductive heat out and allowing natural lighting into the arena.
Its canopy roof rotates, in 14-and-a-half minutes, to provide shade within the building and insulation against the hot sun in summer. According to Arup, the London-based design consultancy behind the project, it is the first roof of its type "and is already considered a pioneering move towards a more environmentally responsible approach to stadia architecture."
The venues' solar panels will operate year-round, continuously exporting electrical energy to the national grid. | 
