Whale Shark (Al Nehem): Mixed-Reality Fabrication in Qatar

Public art · Mixed-reality fabrication · Lusail, Qatar · 2022

Al Nehem is a monumental, 30-metre-long whale shark suspended between the Lusail Plaza Towers. Created for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the sculpture brings local marine heritage and the need to protect endangered wildlife into the public realm.

Making an extraordinary geometry buildable

Produced by Balich Wonder Studio with Mamou-Mani and Fab.Pub, the project was delivered on an exceptionally compressed programme, with around four months from concept to installation. The patterned exterior references both the markings of a whale shark and Islamic geometric craft.

Fab.Pub helped turn the digital geometry into a fabricable steel skin: approximately 400 m² across 66 individually detailed panels. Our team developed a mixed-reality workflow in which holographic guides were viewed through augmented-reality headsets while makers shaped and assembled the physical frame. The panel fabrication stage was completed over seven weeks.

From fabrication to the public realm

A structural rebar mesh supports a skin of marine-grade stainless-steel strips, using a material palette selected with circularity and long-term durability in mind. The assembled installation sits high above the promenade, transforming the space between the towers into a shared cultural landmark.

Project credits

Artwork: Al Nehem / Whale Shark, 2022
Producer: Balich Wonder Studio
Design and fabrication collaboration: Mamou-Mani and Fab.Pub
Fab.Pub project and design lead: Mathias Gmachl
Fab.Pub operations lead: Giovanni Panico, with the wider workshop and on-site teams

Explore our related mixed-reality fabrication case study, or see the full Mamou-Mani project.

Planning a large-scale installation? Talk to Fab.Pub about fabrication.