Al Wahda Arches

The Al Wahda Arches (also called 5/6 Arch, Qatar Arch, Gateway Arch) is a monumental pair of 20° inclined steel arches, spanning the "5/6 interchange" of the Lusail expressway, Qatar which connects West Bay with Lusail City. It is the tallest monument in the country and has received a 2020 International Design Award[1] and 2018 ENR Global Best Project award.[5] Intended to be viewed while in motion as an "immersive public artwork", the arches are connected to each other by a cable net – a reference to Qatar's pearl diving heritage.[1] The structure itself consists of 54 large steel pieces, weighing over 9,000 tons, while the base of the arches are clad in Limra Limestone from Turkey.[2]

Al Wahda Arches
Interactive map pinpointing the arches' location
25°20′7″N 51°31′6″E
LocationLusail Expressway, Onaiza, Qatar
DesignerErik Behrens, AECOM[1]
TypeArch
MaterialSteel & cable[2]
Width147m, 140m
Height100 m, 78m
Weight9,000+ tons
Beginning date2013
Completion date2020
Dedicated date16 December 2017[3]
Dedicated to"5/6": the Qatar diplomatic crisis[4]
Aerial view of the arches, highway interchange, and neighbouring Onaiza district (2020)

The monument, suspended viewing platform, and associated visitor centre were commissioned by Ashghal (the public works authority), designed by German architect Erik Behrens for AECOM,[6][7] engineering by Maffeis Engineering[8] and constructed by Eversendai – with an intended completion date of 2016.[9] At a cost of $74m, construction began in December 2013 and after partial completion was inaugurated along with the expressway for National Day celebrations in December 2017.[4][10] Due to construction occurring during the 2017 Qatar blockade the arches have taken on a local cultural significance of "resilience", and are now known as the 5/6 Arches (referring to 5 June when the diplomatic crisis began) along with "5/6 interchange" and the neighbouring "5/6 park".[4][11][12][13] The construction expressway interchange and Arches replaced the "Rainbow (Arch) roundabout" which used to stand on the site.[14][8]

In 2018 Ashghal and Qatar Post issued a set of commemorative stamps featuring the arches which integrated with an associated augmented reality phone application.[15]

References
  1. "Gateway Arches". International Design Awards. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. "Al Wahda Arches". Classic Stone. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  3. "Qatar's tallest arched monument opened". www.thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  4. "Al Wahda Arches: A gateway to innovation". QRMedia. 2020-10-11. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  5. "Global Best Projects 2018, Road/Highway & Project of the Year Finalist: Lusail Expressway". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  6. "Erik Behrens | ARCHIVIBE". ARCHIVIBE architecture and design vibes. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  7. "Al Wahda Arches: The biggest and tallest monument in Qatar". www.iloveqatar.net. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  8. "AL WAHDA ARCHES". Maffeis Engineering. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  9. "Eversendai subsidiary bags RM269m job in Qatar". The Star. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  10. "Expressway boasts largest arc, four lanes on each side". Qatar-Tribune. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  11. "Third anniversary of resilience sees 5/6 Park project's main works completed". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). 2020-06-05. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  12. Apen-Sadler, Dianne (December 21, 2020). "New park with huge plant maze opens in Onaiza". Time Out.
  13. qatarliving (2020-12-28). "Everything you need to know about the 5/6 park featuring a large maze in the shape of Qatar's map". Qatar Living. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  14. "Goodbye Arch Roundabout". Doha News | Qatar. 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  15. "Ashghal, Q-Post launch 5/6 Interchange postage stamp". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
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