Qatar Rail has picked an Italy-based architecture firm to design an upcoming Transportation Education Center (TEC) in the country.

The center will include exhibition space and also serve as a recreational facility for the public.

It is expected to encompass the rapid changes Doha has undergone in the past few decades, and encapsulate its “past, present and future,” One Works said in a statement.

The firm won a Qatar Rail design competition regarding the TEC last month.

In a statement, Qatar Rail’s Senior Director Mohamed Timbely said: “One Works has perfectly interpreted the spirit and the goal we set for ourselves from the competition’s outset.”

The firm is also no stranger to the Doha Metro project, as it is already working on the finishes for seven Red Line North stations.

Desert fort inspiration

Speaking to Design MENA, One Works partner Leonardo Cavalli said its design was inspired by desert forts.

“We wanted to enhance Qatar’s heritage in every key element of our project, as well as in every single detail by recognizing how Qatar can look to the future by virtue of its past.”

The publication reports that the TEC will be located between Lusail Boulevard and the Al Qassar Metro Station.

The complex will include offices, a theater and a rooftop restaurant. Also on the roof will be an outdoor park space that can host expos on public transportation.

No timeline has been announced for the TEC. The first phase of the Doha Metro is expected to launch to passenger traffic in late 2019/early 2020.

Thoughts?