Doha Tower project halted over air-traffic fears

Work on the second tallest mixed-use tower in the world has been halted following fears that it could disrupt the take off and landing of flights in Doha, Qatar.

Once completed, the 551m, 112-storey Doha Convention Centre and Tower project will become the second tallest tower in the world.

Recently however, the developer suspended work on the tower following the discovery that it would impact the takeoff and landing routes of aircraft from the current international airport.

The problem is expected to be resolved once the new runway is built parallel to the existing one, approximately 1km closer to the east coast, on reclaimed land.

Mohammed bin Ali Al Hadfah, chief executive officer of Qatari Diar, developers behind the project, told the local Arabic language daily, Al Sharq, that once the New Doha International Airport had been inaugurated, the direction of flights would be changed.

Once this is done, work on the project would resume, he added. At present, the foundation for tower has been completed, Al Hadfah said.

The Doha Convention Centre and Tower project is located in the West Bay Area and will comprise of hotel facilities and apartments, in addition to retail spaces.

The convention area itself will be 100,000m2 in size, while the tower and centre will include 65,000m2 of gross office floor space and 25,000m2 of retail area.

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, construction on the project started in 2007. Design architects are Murphy/Jahn Architects. Structural engineering was carried out by Hyder Consulting, Magnusson Klemencic Associates and Werner Sobek Engineering & Design; MEP design was completed by Hyder Consulting and Arup; while Turner Construction is handling project management.

The project is scheduled to be completed by Q4 2015.