Planned Morocco venue pièce de résistance

Image: @2MInteractive (X)

The first images and mockup of the planned Grand Stade de Casablanca in Casablanca, Morocco were unbolted during a meeting held in Casablanca recently to discuss the region’s preparations for Morocco’s joint 2030 World Cup bid with Portugal and Spain.

‘LE MATiN.ma’ stated that the above meeting was held in Casablanca at the behest of the organizing committee of the 2030 World Cup and was chaired by Morocco’s Minister of Interior Abdelouafi Laftit. The meeting was also attended by Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), and Mohamed M’hidia, Wali (Governor) of the Casablanca-Settat region.

Taking a page out of the ‘Moussem’ traditions (an annual gathering of nomadic people of the Sahara that brings together more than 30 tribes from Southern Morocco and other parts of Northwest Africa), this new architectural jewel will be named the Grand Stade Hassan II.

The 115,000-capacity Hassan II Stadium (Grand Stade de Casablanca) is a planned football stadium to be built in Benslimane, just East of Casablanca, Morocco. Scheduled to be completed in 2028, it will be used mostly for football matches and will serve as the home of the Morocco national football team. The venue is being planned keeping in mind the 2030 FIFA spectacle.

The 2030 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 24^th FIFA World Cup™, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. The 2030 World Cup will mark the centennial World Cup competition.

For the first time, three countries from two continents will host the competition with Morocco, Portugal and Spain as the host nations. Additionally, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the FIFA World Cup™, in particular the first World Cup which was held in Uruguay. The first game, alongside a special centenary celebration, will be held at the 60,235-capacity Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay. The second and third games will be held in Argentina and Paraguay, respectively. The rest of the games will be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain.

Rabat (Morocco)-based the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is the governing body of football in Morocco. It was established in 1956. It became a member of the FIFA in 1960 and in the same year it also became a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF – the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer and futsal in Africa).

‘LE MATiN.ma’ further stated that with a capacity of 115,000 seats, the Grand Stade Hassan II will comply with FIFA’s strict guidelines. It will boast three separate security perimeters to ensure the safety of the spectators with a specific and restricted access system without crossing flows and will also enjoy premium offerings to provide fans an enriching experience.

Sports buffs are all agog about the above planned venue in Casablanca which promises to redefine the City’s sporting and cultural landscape.

Speaking on the occasion, Lekjaa observed, “The planned stadium will be exceptional on all fronts and will be a pièce de résistance edifice in the world and will mirror the rich history and heritage of Morocco.”
 

Mirroring Moroccan Culture

‘MEDIAS24’ stated that the stadium design is being lent by the celebrated design firm Populous and OUALALOU+CHOI, a design studio from Morocco.

Populous is a global architectural and design practice with regional headquarters in Kansas City (US), London (UK) and Brisbane (Australia) specializing in sports facilities, arenas and convention centers as well as in the planning and design of major special events.

‘MEDIAS24’ further stated that a statement sent out by Populous read, “The stadium structure will be set beneath a large tented roof that will emerge as a dramatic intervention into the forest landscape. The design of the Grand Stade de Casablanca is deeply rooted in Moroccan culture and tradition – ‘Moussem’, the tent and the garden as well as the topography and landscape of Morocco. The stadium will enjoy an astonishing amount of open space and will be high on the sustainability quotient. The venue will best demonstrate the Moroccan hospitality.”

The Casablanca-Settat Region plans to invest 5.1 billion dirhams on the above venue project with a particular focus on removing all communication bottlenecks.

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