Grand Stade Hassan II by Populous and Oualalou + Choi
A Modern Stadium Inspired by Moroccan Traditions
John Hill
23. August 2024
All renderings are courtesy of Populous.
Newly released renderings show the Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco, the 115,000-capacity stadium projected to be the largest football stadium in the world. Designed by Populous in collaboration with Oualalou + Choi, the stadium's tented roof was inspired by moussem, an annual festival in Morocco.
The main reason for the Grand Stade Hassan II is to host the FIFA World Cup 2030. Morocco, Spain, and Portugal won a joint bid last year to host the 2030 tournament, which will mark the FIFA World Cup centenary. Additionally, the 115,000-capacity stadium will serve as the home of two local clubs.
To learn more about Grand Stade Hassan II, take a visual tour of the design by Populous and Oualalou + Choi, with engineering services provided Maffeis Engineering, ME Engineering, and Rider Levett Bucknall:
The moussem–inspired grand tented roof is intended to emerge as a dramatic intervention in the forested landscape.
With its peaks and translucency, the tent structure for Grand Stade Hassan II recalls Munich Olympic Park, the stadium designed by Günther Behnisch and engineered by Frei Otto for the 1972 Summer Olympics.
The stadium will sit on a 100-hectare (247-acre) site in the town of El Mansouria, 38 km (23-1/2 miles) north of Casablanca in the province of Benslimane.
With its mountain–like profile, Populous's Christopher Lee contends that “Grand Stade Hassan II will be a truly iconic, landmark venue for Morocco and for football itself, that will become one of the great stadia of the world.”
François Clément, also at Populous, further states that Grand Stade Hassan II “is a cornerstone of King Mohammed VI’s vision to develop Morocco’s football infrastructure that will elevate Morocco to the highest global platform of sporting infrastructure development.”
The roof will be made from a unique aluminum lattice that will shade the spaces inside and outside the stadium, the latter of which includes a series of botanical gardens.
Tarik Oualalou, from Oualalou + Choi, describes how the stadium design is rooted in Moroccan culture: “It is rooted in ancient and primordial figures: the Moussem, the tent, and the garden, as well as the topography and landscapes of Morocco. It's a generous space, open to the world and respectful to the Nature it protects.”
Some of the seating inside the stadium includes three steep, compact tiers at the “ends” for 29,500 general admission spectators, and five levels of hospitality along each of the main stands at the side of the pitch for 12,000 VIP spectators.
