Travel: Qatar National Convention Centre

The Qatar National Convention Centre is home to exhibits, concerts, and summits. It’s right across the street from Education City and has architectural appeal. While we didn’t visit for any particular convention, we did visit for a purpose – the Maman – the spider sculpture which is one of the worlds largest. It provokes fear, awe, and vulnerability. There are six editions made of the original and we’ve seen three of them.

Qatar National Convention Centre

First up, the building. It gives a 70s vibe, don’t you think?! Modern, yet sophisticated. It was built in 2011 and designed by a Japanese architect who wanted the building to resemble two intertwined trees. The building achieved LEED Gold certification status for its sustainable design.

The Maman is in the centre of the building, on the main floor. You can’t miss it!

The light and the soft grey tile showcases the dark, yet fragile looking sculpture. It’s beautiful.

The Qatar National Convention Centre was quiet on the day we visited – a Wednesday, I think. It gave us time to look around, enjoy the air conditioning, and wander around checking things out. The ground floor is super neat – it’s full of little seating areas outside of meeting rooms. The type of place for an afternoon of round tables, if you will.

The main floor is the heart of the centre, with two massive rooms to either side of the Maman sculpture. The entrances most certainly lead you right to it, giving you a feeling of awe.

Although a little unconventional (see what I did there?!), checking out the convention centre is worth it if you’re in the Education City area and like the Maman spider.

We’ve seen the one in Ottawa, Tokyo, and now Doha. A few other locations – Seoul, Bilbao, and in the USA – are places we haven’t been to yet. Perhaps one day!

Thanks for stopping by and happy travelling.