Comments on: The Excesses of Kazakh Architecture http://registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 03:15:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: cgb http://registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-304315 cgb Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:41:11 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/#comment-304315 The Zazhigalka caught fire this Spring but MChS was able to contain the blaze pretty well, considering the building is 50 (or so) stories tall and most of the flames were at the top. That's a rather unheard of problem in post-Soviet societies and I will venture to say most fire departments throughout have very little in the way of training, much less understanding, in how to go about this. The downside to Astana is that right now it's sterile and hollow and full of underqualified service-sector employees and underpaid migrant construction workers....but in 35 years Astana will be like Brasilia or Canberra (or, more likely in terms of climate, Ottawa). That is, an artificially created capital that functions as an administrative center, and not a commercial and banking capital that doubles, and thus loses its focus. The Zazhigalka caught fire this Spring but MChS was able to contain the blaze pretty well, considering the building is 50 (or so) stories tall and most of the flames were at the top. That’s a rather unheard of problem in post-Soviet societies and I will venture to say most fire departments throughout have very little in the way of training, much less understanding, in how to go about this.

The downside to Astana is that right now it’s sterile and hollow and full of underqualified service-sector employees and underpaid migrant construction workers….but in 35 years Astana will be like Brasilia or Canberra (or, more likely in terms of climate, Ottawa). That is, an artificially created capital that functions as an administrative center, and not a commercial and banking capital that doubles, and thus loses its focus.

]]> By: KZblog http://registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-303241 KZblog Tue, 12 Dec 2006 06:33:17 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/#comment-303241 Well I wouldn't mind some indoor golf and a little tropical rainforest going on. The problem is like everything else it will probably all be to look at but not to get anywhere near. It shows the level of mentality that the giant Presidential Park from Ak-orda to kazmunai gas is just for walking, no football field, nothing in short to do but look at the admittedly pretty scenery. Well I wouldn’t mind some indoor golf and a little tropical rainforest going on.
The problem is like everything else it will probably all be to look at but not to get anywhere near. It shows the level of mentality that the giant Presidential Park from Ak-orda to kazmunai gas is just for walking, no football field, nothing in short to do but look at the admittedly pretty scenery.

]]> By: Michael Hancock http://registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-301987 Michael Hancock Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:46:58 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/#comment-301987 Two 250m redwood trunks stapled together, which will be hoisted using pulleys and Elephants, like in Dumbo! Two 250m redwood trunks stapled together, which will be hoisted using pulleys and Elephants, like in Dumbo!

]]> By: Amira http://registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-301985 Amira Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:45:16 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/#comment-301985 I think that could be Nazarbaev's biggest goal, but a bunch of big buildings aren't going to make the expats happy. Those who are being shipped up there from, for example, the US Embassy aren't too happy. The marginal socializing and shopping opportunities and the tiny international school might improve over time, but even Nazarbaev can't fix the weather. I doubt Nazarbaev will ever see the day that people would rather live in Astana than Almaty. I think that could be Nazarbaev’s biggest goal, but a bunch of big buildings aren’t going to make the expats happy. Those who are being shipped up there from, for example, the US Embassy aren’t too happy. The marginal socializing and shopping opportunities and the tiny international school might improve over time, but even Nazarbaev can’t fix the weather. I doubt Nazarbaev will ever see the day that people would rather live in Astana than Almaty.

]]> By: yan http://registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-301957 yan Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:14:19 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2006/12/10/the-excesses-of-kazakh-architecture/#comment-301957 Looks a bit like the Sony Center in Berlin. I wonder where the support for the roof is going to be. Looks a bit like the Sony Center in Berlin. I wonder where the support for the roof is going to be.

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