Qatar Rail has appointed Dutch architectural firm UNStudio as principal architect for the Qatar Integrated Railway Project (QIRP) that will see the firm design over 30 stations in first phase of the Doha Metro network.

The QIRP aims to create a service that will promote the use of public transportation as a valid alternative to private transportation for the population of Doha.

The metro network forms the key component of the QIRP, with plans for around 35 stations in the first phase and 60 stations in the second phase, to cater to the Greater Doha Area (GDA).

The full network is being planned to include four lines connecting the GDA as well as the Al Khor and Al Wakrah-Mesaieed communities, located to the north and south of Doha respectively.

UNStudio's design forms a bridge between the past and the future of Qatar, drawing inspiration from the vast regional architectural lexicon, whilst simultaneously presenting a vision of modernisation and preservation, said the Dutch firm in its statement.

The design further aims to incorporate and integrate all functional and technical aspects of the stations and network into a coherent architectural expression with a view to making the Qatar Rail Metro Network a global benchmark for public transportation services, it added.

Since its appointment, UNStudio said the company has developed an 'Architectural Branding Manual', a set of design guidelines, architectural details and material outlines that will assure the spatial quality and clarity of the network.

The manual will be used by the appointed design and build contractors in the construction and delivery of the 35 stations in the first phase, said a top official.

"Through the production of a design manual and with the use of adaptive parametric design, it has been possible for us to create a design with many variants, yet one which maintains a coherent identity throughout all of the stations," remarked Ben van Berkel, the co-founder and principal architect of UNStudio.

"In this way, we can combine local contextual differences within an overall identity and parametrically adapt physical factors such as wayfinding, daylight penetration, passenger flows, constructive elements etc. in a complex but extremely disciplined system," he added.-TradeArabia News Service