ACS International School Doha opened its doors to its landmark new campus in Al Kheesa on 8 September.
Situated in an accessible location off the Al Shamal Road, the state-of-the-art campus continues to remain well connected to the existing ACS Doha community, while also serving the expanding Doha areas including Lusail and The Pearl.
Spanning an impressive 60,000 square metres, the new campus is designed to accommodate almost 2,500 students and boasts countless facilities designed for inside and outside-the-classroom learning. It features a FIFA-sized football pitch, an all-weather athletic track, a large multi-purpose indoor gym and a 25-metre swimming and learners’ pool.
The school enjoys purpose-designed drama studios, music practice rooms, wellness and warrior studios, among other amenities. It also supplies well-equipped science laboratories and libraries to dedicated Lower, Middle and High School buildings.
Spaces that change the way we live
At the heart of the school is a place for ACS Doha’s vibrant community to gather: the Maidan.
Deriving from an Arabic and Persian term, Majālis, or Majles, a Maidan refers to a council, and is used to describe various types of special gatherings. These may be administrative, social or religious gatherings in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries.
“Spaces change the way we live. One reason music has changed over time is that music has been written for the space it would be performed. Birds of the city will sing a different song than birds of the same type in the country,” explains Head of School, Robert Cody.
“The Maidan will be one of the spaces that will change the way we spend our days at school. A place to come together, to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves, to be able to speak and hear with dignity and equality. It is one of many spaces in our new campus that will not only value our core belief of community but will enhance it.”
Bringing the outside in is one of the design themes of our new campus and what better way to bring our communal areas to life than with nature?
Trees play a central role in this. Symbolising growth, an impressive wooden installation breathes life into our Avenue. As a focal point, students can meet and sit under its canopy and their artwork will be adorn the branches of the tree, with other elements on display throughout the year to celebrate key dates.
ACS Doha also commissioned a regional artist and calligraphy specialist to create a special piece of artwork inspired by trees. The impactful artwork will feature on the wall along the Avenue, celebrating the school’s national heritage alongside ACS’s Ready brand narrative, with ‘Ready to…’ phrases in Arabic forming the branches.