Qatar World Cup Memorial by 1week1project – image by 1week1project.
Architecture – The Qatar World Cup Memorial by French Studio 1week1project is a conceptual tower made up of concrete blocks, each representing a deceased worker. The more the number of deaths increased, the higher the tower grew.
- RELATED STORY: Read more about the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar on Archipanic.
The French think-tank chose the high-rise solution to highlight the human right issue visually. The project began in 2014 when the migrant workers’ death toll reached 2,500, corresponding to a 1.6 km high-rise. Today, with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in full swing, the horrible figure of 6,700 deaths leads to an impossible 4.4 km-high skyscraper.
“Since the end of 2010 and the designation of Qatar as the host country for the organization of the 2022 World Cup, no independent body has been able to defend the rights of workers or count the deaths.” Says 1week1project. “The octagonal structure to draw attention to the well-documented human rights abuses that have occurred in Qatar ahead of the tournament.”
The team. Qatar World Cup Memorial was conceived to be built from 2.5-meter-high modular concrete blocks with four placed on each layer to form an octagonal tower. Based on four modules per floor and two staircases per module, the project has a multitude of possible routes.
In Qatar, the right to strike and trade unions do not exist. The only figures available, 35, are those of the Qatari authorities. Still, The Guardian’s report said that over 67,000 middle-aged migrants died of sunstroke, dehydration, or exhaustion after long work hours in extreme heat at the construction sites.
“FIFA must find the legal means to impose respect for human rights in the host country. Football is the most popular sport in the world, and the World Cup is the most unifying event,” said 1week1project.
All images by 1week1project.
