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‘Al Nehem’ whale shark artwork

Structural design of an iconic large scale suspended artwork

View of whale shark hanging between to structures on a bright day with blue skies and palm trees in foreground

服务类别 (1)

行业领域

地点

Lusail, Qatar

客户

Balich Wonder Studio

Stage One

建筑设计

Balich Wonder Studio

Mathias Gmachl

The whale shark, called ‘Al Nehem’, quickly became a social media sensation and symbol of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Suspended 20 meters above Lusail Plaza, the icon soared among Lusail’s four towers designed by Foster + Partners.

‘Al Nehem’ is a suspended 20 tonne and 30 metre long icon depicting a whale shark. Conceived by Marco Balich as a tribute to Qatar’s endangered marine species, it is a symbol of the country’s interest in conserving and protecting its natural environment.

We provided overall structural engineering analysis and design for the artwork, including non-intrusive, demountable steel collars to connect the supporting cables to the main structure of the Lusail Towers.

The lifting sequence from the ground to the final airborne position had to be carefully analysed by our structural engineering team to prevent any damage to the sculpture or the shading canopies in the Lusail Plaza.

“This has been a fantastic collaboration between our London and Doha teams. Well done to all involved,” says Danilo Cava, Principal Engineer. “Thanks to our clients for involving us and to all the contractors who fabricated and executed the elements of the artwork including Stage One, Fab Pub, OPTO Projects, Hyundai and Midmac.”

Key fact

The artwork was suspended as a temporary installation via eight steel wire ropes, 20 metres above the main promenade of the Lusail Plaza.

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Head and sholders shot of Rasti wearing a dark blue shirt against green foliage

Rasti Bartek

Partner, Structural Engineering

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This was a great example of combining creativity and collaboration to achieve a project that stood out and delivered the wider message of protecting nature.

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