PFEIFER Structures gives Al Janoub Stadium a new life

Article posted by Coliseum, August 14^th, 2026

Image: Coliseum GSVA

Thomas Hermeking holds a senior role at [PFEIFER Structures] and brings extensive experience in the delivery of complex lightweight structures. His latest case study focuses on the transformation of the roof at Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar – an engineering project designed to give a major FIFA World Cup venue an entirely new purpose.

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Hermeking joined [PFEIFER Structures] in 2006 after gaining 15 years of experience working on major projects for general contractors. Since then, he has been involved in numerous high-profile projects delivered by the company around the world.

In an exclusive exchange with ‘Coliseum’, Thomas Hermeking, Head of Sales and Preconstruction, PFEIFER Structures, Germany, presents the engineering behind the transformation of Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar. Originally delivered as a 44,000-seat football stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2022™, the venue is now being converted into an 8,200-seat basketball arena ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027. PFEIFER Structures, which was responsible for the original retractable membrane roof, has returned to the project to adapt the system to the fundamentally different requirements of an enclosed arena.

For Hermeking, the project demonstrates how existing venue infrastructure can be re-engineered rather than replaced, extending its useful life while allowing the building to accommodate an entirely different event profile.

PFEIFER Structures

Buxheim (Germany)-based PFEIFER Structures specialises in lightweight structures, drawing on decades of experience in cable structures, tension rod systems and membrane roofing. The company designs, supplies and installs complex structural solutions using materials ranging from steel and timber to membranes and glass.

Al Janoub Stadium

The 44,325-seat Al Janoub Stadium, formerly known as Al Wakrah Stadium, is a retractable-roof football stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar. Inaugurated on May 16^th, 2019, the venue staged matches during the FIFA World Cup 2022™, held in Qatar from November 20^th to December 18^th, 2022.

Following the tournament, the stadium has entered a new phase in its lifecycle. Its conversion into a smaller indoor arena will allow the venue to accommodate basketball and other events, with the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 providing the immediate catalyst for the transformation.

Enclosed Arena Roof

Hermeking explains that PFEIFER Structures’ original work for Qatar 2022 focused on the retractable roof covering the inner area of Al Janoub Stadium. The requirements for the venue’s next phase are fundamentally different.

“We have now changed the roof from a stadium solution to one suitable for an enclosed arena. The original roof was essentially designed as a sun-shading system. When it was extended, light could still come through because the intention was primarily to provide shade and protect spectators from the heat during the World Cup.”

With the stadium being adapted for different uses, that original concept needed to evolve.

“The requirements have now changed. In looking for different uses for the stadium, the client is focusing on the Basketball World Cup in 2027, while cycling competitions are also planned for the future. To accommodate these events, it needs to function as an enclosed arena. The roof therefore has to become watertight and fully sealed. That was the requirement the client brought to us, and we developed the solution.”

Opaque Membrane

Transforming the roof required PFEIFER Structures to address two principal challenges: eliminating incoming daylight and creating a watertight enclosure.

“We realised this through two main measures. The first was keeping out the light and the second was making the roof watertight. We proposed using an opaque material for the membrane, replacing the membrane in the central area with a completely opaque solution.”

The intervention also required previously open areas within the roof structure to be closed.

“We then had to seal the central truss area, the garage area and the gap between the retractable roof and the circumferential steel structure.”

Design is about Details

Rather than redesigning the entire system, the team began by analysing the original roof and identifying where its components and production processes could be improved.

“We tried to work with the same suppliers and looked at how we could improve the original design. Design is ultimately about the details – how much work you invest in them has a direct influence on the quality of the result.”

The development process returned to fundamental engineering and fabrication techniques.

“We went back to details we had developed before and looked at how they could be improved. We started again with paper models and then moved into welding tests.”

A particular challenge was the construction of the retractable membrane itself.

“The roof is not simply a membrane cover. Belts are sewn into the membrane using various layers of material to transfer the forces generated by the retractable system. That makes the fabrication considerably more complex.”

Lessons Learned

The advantage of returning to a system originally designed and delivered by PFEIFER Structures was the ability to apply knowledge accumulated from its first construction and years of operation.

“We looked closely at everything we had done before and applied the lessons learned. We considered the machinery used for fabrication, the welding processes, the lengths that could be handled by the welding machines and how we could optimise the number of membrane layers.”

Those refinements also improved the way forces are transferred through the membrane.

“In the original roof, for example, there were areas where three layers of membrane material were welded into a single layer. We improved the transition from three layers to two and then to one, creating a smoother flow of forces and a better overall result.”

Belts

One of the most technically demanding elements of the Al Janoub Stadium roof is the system of structural belts integrated into the retractable membrane.

“The speciality of the Al Janoub Stadium project is the belts. We carried out extensive testing, including destructive testing of numerous belts, and developed a process for pre-stretching them.”

The belts have to be prepared before being incorporated into the membrane, requiring a carefully controlled production sequence.

“They need to be pre-stretched and then sewn into the roof membrane. That required us to establish a very specific sequence. Through the development process, we were able to reduce the production time from initially around four hours to approximately two-and-a-half hours for the final production process.”

Panels

The membrane panels were manufactured at PFEIFER Structures’ fabrication facilities in China, where the size of the production equipment allowed individual panels to be manufactured without unnecessary handling.

“The welding table is very large, which meant we could produce the panels in one piece without having to move them around during fabrication. Every time you move material of this scale, there is a risk of affecting it, so avoiding that was an advantage.”

Transportation created another logistical challenge. The dimensions of the finished membrane elements required a carefully developed folding and packaging process before they could be shipped to Qatar.

“Normally we would use a container and have much more space for packing. Because these panels had to be transported by air freight, we needed to develop a very precise way of folding them – twice and three times – before placing them into wooden transport boxes.”

Wrap-up

Closure Flaps

Hermeking concluded by explaining how the final interventions complete the transformation from a partially open stadium roof into a sealed arena enclosure.

“The additional closure flaps can be seen from inside the garage area. In the finished solution, there is no longer light coming through the roof and all the relevant areas are sealed. From above, you can also see the closure flap connecting the retractable area with the central truss.”

For PFEIFER Structures, the project also represents a practical example of its rethink, renew and reuse philosophy – an approach centred on extending the lifecycle of existing structures and reducing the need for entirely new construction.

“The Al Janoub Stadium roof project is another chapter in our history of rethink, renew and reuse.”

The principle forms part of PFEIFER Structures’ broader sustainability and circular-economy approach to lightweight architecture, cable structures and tensile roofs, with engineering solutions designed to maximise the use of existing components and reduce environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of a structure.

The transformation of Al Janoub Stadium’s complex retractable roof will allow the venue to provide the controlled indoor environment required as it transitions from a FIFA World Cup football stadium into an 8,000-plus-seat arena for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, while opening the building to a wider range of future event formats.

The 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be the 20^th edition of FIBA’s international men’s basketball championship. Qatar will host the tournament from August 27^th to September 12^th, 2027.

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