The Brazil 2014 Fan Zone, developed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), has won the 2015 World Stadium Congress 'Innovative Solution of the Year' award. Created to test and showcase a scale model of one of the cooling technologies which will be used at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, partially at the proposed host venues and mainly for open air public gatherings, the open-air fan zone allowed football fans in Qatar to watch 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ matches at a temperature on average 12 degrees Celsius lower inside than outside.

Dario Cadavid, SC Technical Assurance and Integration Senior Manager, submitted the project on behalf of the SC to the 'Innovative Solution of the Year' category which received the highest number of nominations, including submissions from global engineering consultants and technology providers working on global projects. Other finalists in this category included Aurecon Group and Siemens.

Ghanim Al Kuwari, SC Competition Venues Executive Director, explained: "The data gathered during the running of the fan zone is being utilised by the SC's technical team as part of its research and development to deliver the cooling technology which will leave a lasting legacy of year-round sports in Qatar once the tournament has concluded."

"The SC is working with a number of partners in Qatar, including the ASPIRE Zone Foundation and Qatar University, to develop the technology which will also be useful for other countries with similar climatic conditions to be able to host major outdoor sporting events," he added.

Brazil 2014 Fan Zone.

The thousands of fans in attendance at the Brazil 2014 Fan Zone experienced not only the great football from Brazil on Qatar's biggest panoramic HD television, but also a wide range of football-related activities including: a three-on-three sand pitch, an eleven-a-side foosball table, and the opportunity to take a penalty at Al Wakrah Stadium using virtual reality.

They were also treated to some of the best entertainment from across Qatar and the region with the likes of Wonho Chung, Hamad Al-Amari and the LED show, Lights of Wonder. Fans also enjoyed a sample of the atmosphere in Brazil courtesy of drumming bands and exhibitions of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira.

Brazil 2014 Fan Zone.

In order to fit all of these elements into one facility, the layout was carefully planned to incorporate a main arena surrounded by prayer rooms, washrooms, a child-care centre, activity zones and catering stations – with access and sitting areas for visitors with special needs – and a VIP section with restricted access.

Engineers at the SC also worked closely with international technology companies from Germany and the UK among others to oversee the design and manufacture of tailored cooling systems and retractable roof designs, to make the fan zone a great success. The fan zone received over 15,000 visitors to watch games across 10 nights from the round of 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ through to the final.

The fan zone had a retractable roof which was assembled at ground level and carefully lifted through a four-crane operation onto the columns. The structural support for the roof was integrated with cooling columns which included a cold fog misting system in order to minimise the number of vertical structural elements.