Msheireb Downtown Doha is an excellent spot for everything related to food, culture and leisure in Qatar. It is located in the heart of Doha, next to the iconic Souq Waqif.

It "is one of the smartest and most sustainable city districts which employs a new approach to urban planning by combining traditional methods and modern technology aimed at preserving the environment as well as the cultural identity of Qatar."

The ILoveQatar.net (ILQ) team has listed some things you might not have known about this bustling downtown. Read on to find out.

It's a sustainable city

Did you know the Msheireb Downtown Doha is a sustainable city? The streets within the downtown are designed to capture cool breezes, and most pedestrian routes are shaded. The tram that runs through the district also uses clean energy. There are dedicated lanes for bicycles and walkers.

The entire district is made of eco-friendly building material, thicker walls and heat-isolating glass that prevents heat loss and saves energy. A lot of the waste that is produced is recycled or reused.

Another fact is that over 6,400 rooftop solar panels provide onsite energy generation, and 1,400 solar panels secure hot water throughout the district.

Msheireb Downtown Doha has raised the benchmark in urban sustainability with the highest concentrations of LEED-certified sustainable buildings in the world within a city. It has 32 LEED Platinum and other 42 LEED Gold Certificates for buildings, with sustainability considerations integrated right from the design stage.

It's built based on the Seven Steps

Inspired by Qatari heritage, Msheireb Properties spent three years researching to develop a new architectural language for the district. It embodied the Seven Steps to integrate the spirit and aesthetics of Qatari architecture with a sustainable design and modern technology.

The Seven Steps include:

• Continuity: to weave the past, present & future together
• Individual & collective: to create harmony and connection between the buildings
• Space & form: to reflect the character of tradition and modernity
• Home: to deliver an exceptional living environment
• Streets: to create a lasting and vibrant lifestyle for all
• Designing for climate: to achieve maximum comfort with minimum energy use
• Anew language architecture: to build on Qatari architectural tradition by using a new language

It's a smart city

Msheireb Downtown Doha serves as a model for smart city development and is at the forefront of design and operational excellence.

Since its inception, Msheireb Properties has been a smart city. From charging stations for electric cars, smart meters, and public WiFi to an automatic smart waste collection system, this city adopts the latest advanced smart services and applications for a fully digital experience.

A central command and control room collects and analyses data in real-time, including several Smart Applications to ensure power use efficiency. The entire city is GPS linked with data analytical apps and advanced systems providing instant alerts. Msheireb Downtown Doha also has four facility management hubs with over 10,000 cameras connected to the control room to ensure the safety and security of all residents and visitors.

Parked your car in the city? The car finding app can show you the location! Have you checked out these features yet?!

• Download the app here: App Store, Google Play

It's modern yet rooted in culture

Msheireb Downtown Doha values the cultural and historical significance of the existing spaces in and around the Msheireb area and is reinterpreting its old forms to create a contemporary city. This includes:

• Souq Waqif is distinguished by its traditional and old buildings. Today it serves as one of the must-visit places for people in Qatar and those visiting with its shops, winding alleyways and eateries.
• The Amiri Diwan quarter comprises the Diwan Annexe, the key civic and administration area, the Amiri Guard building and Qatar National Archive.
• Msheireb Museums, the tourist and cultural destination in Msheireb Downtown Doha, celebrate the history of four heritage houses: Bin Jelmood House, The Company House, Mohammed Bin Jassim House, and Radwani House. Each house tells a different story about Qatar’s rich history and legacy.
• Al-Eid prayer ground is one of the projects in the Heritage Quarter. It is one of the most prominent cultural and religious landmarks in Msheireb Downtown Doha as it goes back to the early days of modern Qatar.
• M7 is Qatar’s epicentre for innovation and entrepreneurship in design, fashion and tech. M7, under Qatar Museums, aims to empower designers to explore, collaborate and develop successful businesses.

It's a compact district

The project - Msherieb Downtown Doha - offers a combination of luxury and day-to-day convenience to the people living and working there. It consists of beautiful homes, an extensive variety of offices, workplaces etc.

Apart from this, it is also a social hub that features friendly communities, arcaded streets, landscaped open spaces, and vibrant public areas with restaurants, cafés and abundant retail options, including Msheireb Galleria.

Reflecting the tradition of the Qatari society, residences are arranged around a ‘Freej’ style courtyard garden in clusters of family homes, offering residents privacy, a sense of community and security.

RELATED:

• 5 hidden gems at Msheireb Downtown Doha!
• Where to eat at Msheireb Downtown Doha

Cover image credit: Msheireb Properties
Source: Mshereib Downtown Doha

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Vrinda Abilash

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