Oxygen Park

Oxygen Park is an urban public park¹ and a multifunctional green space project² built inside the Education Cityⁱ in Al-Rayyan area of Doha³. Inspired by nature, Oxygen Park is considered the “green lung” of the campus and is intended to enhance health and wellbeing in a desert environment⁴ . The park serves the community, acting as a place to “exercise, rest, and play”⁵. The project’s objective is to help students and visitors reconnect with nature, while fostering social engagement and promoting active healthy lifestyles⁶.

To implements the project’s objectives, a plan was proposed on a site measuring 0.13 square kilometers inside the education city⁷. The proposed design is inspired by the wind eroded rocks and fluid land formations of the desert to convey fluidity⁸ which allowed for paths and running tracks to be embedded in the topography to create an exciting jogging, and sport training experience. The plan features two zones acting as a recreation area, where one zone is located on the western side and is dedicated to sports activities as it includes multipurpose fields and a running track. The second zone is located on the eastern side for entertainment, and it includes a “youngsters” jungle gym, an amphitheater, and individual nurseries⁹.

In total the park contains 7,000 meters of pathways, a covered shaded walkway, a 1.6 kilometer long running track, an equestrian track, sports fields, 4 folly buildings, and gardens with over 100 plant species¹⁰, where the majority are native plants to recreate a year-round lush desert environment that is able to respond and adapt to the region’s extreme heat and water scarcity¹¹. The park also includes water features, park furniture including shaded seating areas¹², and “swell lights”¹³.

In terms of environmental sustainability and resilience, soak ways in the park store stormwater from seasonal rainfalls, and are embedded in the softscape which allows the soil to absorb the water. The green spaces are also equipped with smart irrigation systems with sensors controlling water consumption¹⁴. As such the recreational are in the park including its native plants and water management systems, allow the students and visitors to explore the symbiotic relationships between oxygen, plants, and healthy purified living, while practicing sports exercises to refresh their mind, body, and spirit¹⁵.

The project is initiated by Qatar Foundation¹⁶ with AECOM¹⁷ as the design consultant. MAN Enterprise is the main contractor responsible for the implementation of the park^{18 19}, while the project management is led by ASTAD²⁰. It is worth noting that the entry to Oxygen Park is free of charge and it is open to the public all days with varied timings²¹.