Qatar unveils $1.6bn moon-shaped hotel

The Gulf state of Qatar has unveiled plans to build a $1.6bn half-moon-shaped luxury hotel off the coast of Doha.

The Silver Pearl Hotel, designed by New York architecture practice M Castedo Architects, will boast 1,000 rooms, restaraunts and ‘high end’ retailers.

The proposed development would be built out at sea, half a kilometre from Doha, and is expected to be completed in time for the 2022 football World Cup.

M Castedo said the hotel’s shape references the country’s seafaring and pearl diving traditions.

The project will be developed by Qatar hotel operator Katara Hospitality. It will consist of two semicircular 30-story towers separated by a vaulted, climate-controlled atrium and gardens.

Visitors will arrive at the Silver Pearl by means of a four lane elevated causeway, by private yacht or by helicopter, the developer said.

At night, the building’s stainless steel glass exterior will be lit with LEDs and its reflection will “create an illusion of a shimmering pearl glowing brightly in the Arabian Sea”.

The complex will be elevated above the sea bed, “allowing for unimpeded currents and minimum environmental impact”.

The developer added: “A major environmental consultant with extensive marine experience in the area will be responsible for making sure that lessons learned on existing projects such as The Palm and The World in nearby Dubai are incorporated in the development of this particular site”.