- New images have revealed the impressive scale of the planned new stadium.
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With a huge tent roof rising above the desert and two ends with capacity for nearly 30,000 people, this is what the world’s largest football stadium will look like.
The architects who drew up plans for Manchester United’s new Old Trafford have been tasked with creating a stunning 115,000-capacity stadium, fit to host the 2030 World Cup final.
And dramatic images, shared with Mail Sport, show exactly how Morocco’s Grand Stade Hassan II will dominate the landscape when the massive project becomes a reality.
The venue, located just outside Casablanca, is inspired by the country’s traditional social gatherings known as “moussem”. The roof will be made from a unique aluminium truss, while each end of the huge stadium will seat 29,500 fans across three steep tiers. Five levels of hospitality will welcome 12,000 corporate clients, along with a royal box.
The stadium has been designed by Populous, the firm commissioned by the Glazers to carry out a feasibility study into a new or refurbished Old Trafford for Manchester United. They worked in collaboration with Paris-based architects Oualalou + Choi.
Spectacular new images show the magnitude of Morocco’s Grand Stade Hassan II
The stadium, designed by Populous, will have a capacity of 115,000 spectators and could host the 2030 World Cup final.
The roof of the large stadium in the Moroccan city will be made with a unique aluminum lattice
The venue, located on the outskirts of Casablanca, is inspired by the country’s traditional social gatherings.
Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup together with Spain and Portugal
The complex will also feature 32 staircases leading to a series of gardens on elevated platforms, 28 metres above the ground.
Morocco is hosting the World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal and authorities hope the stadium will host the final. It will also serve as the home of two local clubs.
Construction is set to begin in the near future on a 100-hectare site north of Casablanca, after public funding was approved last year.
Populous could be asked to create a new home for United if the club finds sufficient funding, although, as Mail Sport revealed, the job could be left to award-winning Manchester architect Sir Norman Foster.
Christopher Lee, CEO of Populous, said: “The Grand Stade Hassan II will be a truly iconic venue for Morocco and for football itself, and will become one of the great stadiums of the world.”
Tarik Oualalou, Design Director and Founding Partner of Oualalou + Choi and lead architect on the project, added: ‘The Grand Stade Hassan II is deeply rooted in Moroccan culture, with its traditions and contemporary expressions.
‘It has its roots in ancient and primordial figures: the museum, the shop and the garden, as well as in the topography and landscapes of Morocco. It is a generous space, open to the world and respectful of the Nature it protects. The Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca is the embodiment of the great tradition of Moroccan hospitality.’