Foster+Partners recently unveiled their design for the Lusail Tower in Qatar, a project spanning 1.1 million square meters and featuring four high-rise buildings. The firm also managed the overall master plan for the block where the tower stands. Scheduled for completion before the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Lusail Tower is hailed as the catalyst for the city’s new central business district.
Strategically connected to a new transportation hub, the design thoughtfully considers the local climate. Two of the towers rise 70 floors, while the other two reach 50 floors, all symmetrically arranged around a central plaza. The Lusail Tower houses prominent tenants including the National Bank of Qatar, Central Bank of Qatar, Qatar Investment Authority, and several global organizations such as Qatari Diar.
Located at the end of a tree-lined main avenue, the project effectively connects the newly built football stadium with the coastal area. The architects carefully addressed local climate conditions and prioritized pedestrian-scale spatial design within the block’s overall master plan. The podiums of the four towers facing the street accommodate shops, cafes, restaurants, and various public amenities. The ocean-grade aluminum and glass curtain wall facade shields interiors from direct sunlight while offering daytime views to occupants.
“This project’s complexity demands close collaboration between architects, engineers, and specialist consultants. To facilitate this, we developed a real-time communication platform that streamlines coordination and improves efficiency across teams,” explained Luke Fox, Project Leader at Foster+Partners.
The communication platform, named Hermes, was created to enhance team collaboration. Adam Davis, head of development, stated, “Hermes has significantly reduced redundant modeling tasks, allowing us to focus more on meaningful collaboration and in-depth communication.”
The design concept features an elliptical tower base that twists 90 degrees as it rises, granting panoramic views of the city and coastline. The four towers are symmetrically arranged around a central core supported by sixteen diagonal columns. “We conducted wind tunnel testing early on to optimize the tower’s structural performance,” noted Roger Ridsdill Smith, Director of Structural Engineering at Foster+Partners.
Piers Heath, Director of Environmental Engineering at Foster+Partners, emphasized that environmental design is a key driver of this project. He added, “The tower’s form has been carefully shaped to maximize external shading.” The project aims to achieve a four-star rating under the global sustainability assessment system. Its active systems include innovative phase change materials, high-pressure hydraulic systems, demand-controlled ventilation, efficient LED lighting, and automated centralized thermal storage. Additionally, molded concrete slabs provide excellent thermal mass, while minimizing perforated windows reduces solar heat gain inside the building.”
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