An architectural consortium led by architects Oualalou + Choi and British firm Populous has won the contract to design a new Grand Stadium of Casablanca in Morocco, beating out seven competitors in a pool of 12. Populous expressed its pride in the partners having been selected in a press release on Wednesday.
Morocco’s National Agency for Public Facilities (ANEP) selected the group after holding an international architectural design competition, in which seven firms participated: Herzog & De Meuron, Zaha Hadid Architects, Foster + Partners, Cruz y Ortiz, GMP Architects, and HPP Architects.
The winning design by Oualalou + Choi and Populous draws inspiration from a traditional social gathering in Morocco called a “moussem.” The stadium’s structure is set under a grand, tented roof that resembles the gathering. In Moroccan culture, a moussem is an annual fair that serves economic, cultural, and social functions. Moussems are often named after and celebrate religious saints or are dedicated to a local product.
Christopher Lee, Managing Director at Populous for the EMEA region said “We are very proud to have been selected for this prestigious project, with our partners Oualalou + Choi. The Grand Stade de Casablanca is an iconic, landmark venue for the citizens of Casablanca and Morocco that will become one of the great stadia of the world.”
Tarik Oualalou, Founding Partner at Oualalou + Choi, who is also Lead Architect and Design Principal for the project, tied the proposed design of the stadium to Moroccan culture and traditions. The stadium is “rooted in ancient and primordial concepts: the Moussem, the tent, and the garden, as well as the topography and landscapes of Morocco. It’s an inviting space, open to the world and respectful of the nature it protects,” he said.
“The Grand Stade de Casablanca is the embodiment of the great tradition of Moroccan hospitality,” he concluded.
Preparations are underway for groundwork on a 100-hectare site, in El Mansouria town, in Benslimane province, near the airport approximately 38 kilometers from Casablanca. Public financing for the project was approved in October 2023.
The stadium will comply with FIFA’s standards and will host the Morocco-Spain-Portugal World Cup 2030. It will also serve as home to two local football clubs.
François Clément, Senior Principal and President of Populous France, underscored the partners’ commitment to delivering the “best possible stadium.” He remarked on the importance of the new facility to Morocco’s sports infrastructure.
“With construction progressing swiftly in Benslimane, all parties involved are committed to delivering this monumental project on schedule and within budget. The Grand Stade de Casablanca is poised to elevate Morocco onto the global stage of sporting infrastructure development, leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s landscape and sporting legacy,” he asserted.
The engineering operations in the winning bid of around 4.74 billion MAD will be handled by Maffeis, ME, Rider Levett Bucknall, Momentum, and SEPSI, according to the competition’s minutes, released last week.
Populous is a British architectural firm known globally for designing sports facilities, arenas, and convention centers. It also specializes in planning and designing large special events. Notable projects include the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK, Yankee Stadium in New York, US, and The Cathedral in Milan, Italy.
Oualalou + Choi is an architectural and urban design practice with offices in Paris and Casablanca that creates projects that “resonate across various cultures, methods, and contexts.”