Alwadi Hotel, Msheireb Downtown Doha

As part of a prestigious team of UK architects who collaborated on the Msheireb Downtown Doha masterplan - establishing a new civic centre in the historical capital city Doha - Squire & Partners designed six buildings including the Alwadi Hotel Doha, operated by MGallery.

Inspired by Qatari heritage and hospitality, the hotel is designed as series of stone buildings expressed with a fractured roofscape which reduces to a more modest scale as it approaches the Souk Waqif. Facades are softened with faceted window openings and perforated bronze panels. At its tallest point, the Infinity Rooftop Lounge offers panoramic views across the rooftops of Doha, and features woven timber and straw panels visible from the souk entrance. The hotel offers 213 rooms and suites along with event spaces, a gymnasium, pool and spa as well as restaurants and bars.

Msheireb Downtown Doha required the creation of a new vernacular rooted in Qatari culture, which the practice responded to by fusing traditional Qatari architecture with a modern and sustainable approach to design. Designs responded to the masterplan guide which took cues from historic proportions, simple forms, informal arrangement of buildings, active rooftops, the use of layering and ornamentation to modify light, and a strong emphasis on sustainability responding to the challenges of the local environment.