6 hours Ago By Jack Mortimer
Drivers in a major Qatari city will never struggle to find a place to store their vehicle , after one location was awarded the Guinness World Record for being the world's largest underground car park. Located in Mscheireb Downtown Doha , the car park has up to six floors and is capable of storing more than 10,000 different vehicles at any given time. Ali al-Kuwari, Msheireb Properties CEO and engineer, highlighted that the car park was built in order to stop motorists from parking their cars at the side of the road .
He explained: "We wanted to reclaim outdoor spaces for the community by removing vehicles from the streets around Msheireb. "The Guinness World Records for the Largest Underground Car Park is a testament to our dedication to creating a sustainable and innovative city district that prioritises the well-being of our community." Featuring a whopping 10,017 spaces to choose from, the car park is used by visitors and local residents alike, with reports stating that there are still more than 3,000 spaces available during peak hours.
The Msheireb Downtown Doha car park is located underneath 100 different buildings that are situated on a variety of roads, meaning it features a vast range of entrances and exits. As a result, drivers are also able to use the car park as a handy way of quickly getting around the part of the city with less chance of encountering a large traffic jam. While the project was a particularly serious undertaking to make possible, Msheireb Properties hopes that it will help to shorten commuting times and create safer areas for pedestrians.
Ali also noted that, the new car park will have an impact on buildings in the area of Doha, with architects having more flexibility in creating unique designs. He added: "By locating car parking and building services underground, we enabled architects to design attractive buildings with active facades on all sides." Although the feat is certainly impressive, it is not quite the largest car park of any kind in the world.
That title goes to the West Edmonton Mall car park in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. First opened to the public in 1981 in a bid to raise publicity for the city, the outdoor car park is capable of holding an estimated 20,000 vehicles. Amazingly, just in case visitors still struggle to find a space to store their car whilst on a shopping spree, the mall also has an overflow car park with a further 10,000 spaces.
.
