NMoQ begins work on Qatar TotalEnergies Playground

Doha: The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has started constructing the outdoor ‘Qatar TotalEnergies Playground.’ First announced in 2019, the project is sponsored by TotalEnergies and is designed by Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL).

The ‘Qatar TotalEnergies Playground’ will provide a unique experience for families to explore and discover the story of energy in Qatar through meaningful play. The playground’s maze-like architecture is inspired by energy on a molecular level and prompts children to act in historical and future energy extraction, production, distribution, and use through an engaging series of ‘pick-your-own-adventure’ scenarios. Each scenario interprets various stories, including the natural formation of fossil fuels, harnessing renewable energies, reducing carbon emissions, and the myriad of final products used in society.

Construction will be carried out by the Supervisory Committee for Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar (Ashghal) and is due to be unveiled by the end of September 2022.

To mark this milestone, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums; Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at TotalEnergies; Ahmad Musa Al Namla, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Museums; Matthieu Bouyer, Managing Director TotalEnergies EP Qatar and TotalEnergies Country Chair in Qatar; and H E Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President of Ashghal, among other high-profile dignitaries, attended a ceremony at the playground site.

The commemoration also saw the unveiling of the TotalEnergies plaque at NMoQ’s Gallery 10 and the first stone ceremony to symbolise the playground.

Sheikha Al Mayassa said: “Qatar Museums play an integral part in fostering creativity and cultural knowledge. The Qatar TotalEnergies Playground at the National Museum of Qatar will provide a fully immersive and educational experience. Visitors of all ages can learn about the discovery of oil in Qatar and how it has shaped present-day society. We extend our gratitude to TotalEnergies for its continued generosity in supporting our educational outreach programmes designed to engage the wider community and visitors to Qatar on topics exploring Qatar’s rich heritage.”

“This playground will promote a necessary and crucial conversation about energy across all generations - to understand our energy’s past and, most importantly, its future. More than just a playground, this experience will allow children to learn about Qatar’s sustainability efforts and to better understand domains such as solar, LNG, electricity, carbon capture, plastic recycling,” said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman of the Board and CEO at TotalEnergies, during the event.

“We are delighted about our partnership with Qatar Museums, and I would like to thank H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani for making it possible. The Qatar TotalEnergies Playground is a good illustration of our actions in Qatar in favour of education and culture. It will contribute to developing the younger generation’s understanding of the energy landscape in Qatar aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030,” Matthieu Bouyer, Managing Director TotalEnergies EP Qatar and TotalEnergies Country Chair in Qatar, said.

Starting in water play, the story begins with the historical creation of the earth’s oil and gas deposits through geological and biological processes revealed on a play space modelled on the structure of organic hydrocarbon molecules. Children move through a series of play ‘pods’, each representing the steps in the process that transform crude oil and gas tapped from the earth to the many products used in our daily lives worldwide, including pathways to future renewable energies. Pathways through the play space vary as each child can choose from a range of options to follow, providing a new experience, resulting in a different end product of the energy pathway. Each pass through the process illustrates the many uses of oil, gas, and renewable energies in today’s society.

Eng. Sara Mohammed Kafood, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar, stated: “We are pleased to collaborate with Qatar Museums and manage such an important and unique project, especially that one of the main objectives of the Committee is creating a sustainable outdoor environment that people activate. This can be achieved through creating destinations that contribute to encouraging all family members to follow a healthy lifestyle and choose enjoyable destinations outside closed spaces.” 

Eng. Abdulmohsin Hasan Al Rashid, Manager of Buildings Projects Department — Projects Affairs in Ashghal, stated: “The project encompasses several challenges, including air conditioning the outdoor pods, and timely completion during the construction phase. In this respect, however, I am confident that Ashghal will overcome these challenges, as a tender was already floated, and a contractor was hired.”