Doha Festival City (DFC) is the most popular shopping and dining destination for residents of Doha. Owned by Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate Company WLL, DFC opened its doors in 2017 and features a large shopping mall, the VOX 4D cinema complex, the Middle East's first ‘Angry Birds World,’ Qatar's first indoor snow park, ‘Snow Dunes,’ and ‘Virtuocity,’ an immersive digital experience.
Festival Park at DFC was designed as an extension of the mall and opened in two phases. Phase 1 was completed in time for the Qatar Football World Cup in 2022, while Phase 2 followed in 2023. The park is a vast open-air area that includes car parks, pedestrian paths shaded by light canopies, and plazas where steps provide seating.
Light Link, commissioned by Gulf Contracting and MACE, was tasked with bringing the concept developed by architectural firm TTZ to life, focusing on the outdoor and landscape lighting for Festival Park. The goal was to create an inviting, tranquil atmosphere that harmonized with nature while ensuring the space was well-lit for various uses.
iGuzzini fixtures were selected, including Lavinia luminaires with pole-mounted street optics to illuminate the streets, and Walky recessed luminaires to light the exits from the underground car parks as a part of the mall. In the more recent expansion, the focus shifted to the park's relaxation spaces, which are used for walking and resting.
For these areas, Light Link chose fixtures in a rust-brown finish to complement the wooden structures providing shade along the pathways. Palco InOut spotlights with wide flood optics were installed to provide a soft, indirect illumination. Light Up Earth fixtures were used at the base of the wooden arches to highlight the texture of the materials. To maintain a consistent aesthetic, Palco InOut fixtures in a grey finish were used on the metal structures, again with wide flood and very wide flood optics. Along the walkways, round iWay bollards with 180° super comfort optics were installed for optimal lighting.
The park's circulation areas are illuminated by Palco InOut fixtures mounted on poles, complemented by Twilight Copenhagen fixtures. Some of the pole-mounted Palco InOut lights were replaced with Palco Framer units featuring gobos that project the DFC logo onto the ground.
The public steps surrounding these structures are highlighted for safety using rectangular Walky recessed lights. The open amphitheater seating and floating steps have been lit with Underscore InOut fixtures, combining safety with a graphic lighting effect. Wooden structures housing stairs and lifts are accentuated by Light Up Earth and Palco fixtures placed along the various levels.
This thoughtful approach to lighting creates an immersive, visually engaging experience, while also ensuring the park remains functional and safe for all visitors.
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