Msheireb Downtown Doha – Street lighting

Client : Msheireb Properties Downtown Doha– Qatar  2013-2016
Designers: Jonas von Stedingk Industrial Design and Harry Dobbs Design
Manufacturer: GMR Enlights, Italy
Suit of furnishings winner of the Heart of Doha Public Realm Furnishings competition 2013.

A range of street lighting elements were developed for the Msheireb Downtown Doha site on 32ha. prime location next to the Emir’s palace.  At that time (2013), LED lighting was not yet trusted by the client to withstand the 50ºC summer heats, so different types of discharge lamps were used to achieve the Lux levels required by the lighting plan (Harry and Jonas’ next lighting project, for AECOM in the Qatar 1.5  years later, was entirely LED-based). The lighting pole heights ranged from 6-12m, and a set of ceremonial masts measured 22m in height.

Their shape referred subtly to the cultural research undertaken to initiate the project.  Decorated timber boards – part of  site-wide Area Accenting strategy – adorn  the pavement-facing side (side-walk ) of the lamp posts, at a scale close to that of people.  This adds a human tactile characteristic to the pedestrian areas of an otherwise harder streetscape.

Applying our knowledge of manufacturing and procurement processes ensured the original designs were fit for production with very little alterations.