The new wing of Al Jazeera's headquarters in Doha accommodates two studios - for news programs in Arabic and for filming broadcasts of the network as a whole: the project was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the TV company, celebrated in November 2016. Planned by the Veech x Veech bureau also included 7,450 m2 of landscaping, which will be implemented in 2018.
This is the second order for Viennese architects from Al Jazeera, which broadcasts in Arabic, English and Serbian for 310 million viewers in more than 100 countries.
skyscraper The Shard. The media company is owned by the Qatari government, and therefore in response to its strong influence in the region, the recent ultimatum to Qatar announced by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, among others, included a demand to close Al Jazeera.
However, the TV company continues to broadcast successfully - including from the new part of its headquarters. The building is covered with a 36-meter cantilever roof with a deep overhang, which protects the glazed facade from the scorching sun. Al-Jazeera studio adjoins this facade in the interior of the open plan: polarizing filters provide moderation of natural light, and built-in LEDs, visualization technologies, immersiveness and augmented reality are used to create an effective space in the frame. The structure of the interior is inspired by the asymmetric calligraphic logo of the TV company.
The Arab news studio, by contrast, is isolated from the outside space. It combines the broadcast studio itself (three sets of sets) with "production" work areas for 100 employees. Immersive 3D graphics and adjustable LED zones make it easy to change the lighting and color of the interior depending on the broadcast scene.
Media architecture is one of the Veech x Veech specialties. Other projects of this type include various types of studios for the Austrian public television ORF and Red Bull Media House, exhibition design, etc.
