Remember Khan Shatyr? As a refresher, it is one of the more unique construction projects currently under way in Astana. It’s schedule for completion in the next seven months, and the rockiest part is now behind. The building will be the world’s largest tent when it is completed, with a clear plastic roof to let the sun shine down on the indoor shopping complex, landscaped park, and beach. The mast was erected successfully [with great pictures] back in December, so the tent has successfully reached its intended height of 150 meters.
No less a figure than Nursultan Nazarbaev announced this building’s plans to the world back in 2006, and like his dream city of Astana, things are shaping up well. This is the second project designed by Lord Foster, the first being the glass pyramid also in Astana. The construction, however, is being carried out by the Turkish company Sembol.
In the words of WorldArab.net’s report from their Architecture, Art & Design section:
It is intended to provide a new civic focus for Astana and is situated at the northern end of the new city axis. The structure rises from a 200 metre diameter elliptical base and its massive volume will provide a sheltered environment and contain an urban-scale internal park, shops, cafes, as well as a wide variety of entertainment amenities, including a spa, sports centre and an indoor beach.
The brochure available on their website gives more information, including that 700 parking spots are available in the tent itself, with 700 more accessible by covered walkways. I wonder if the climate control extends to the parking lot, considering it takes up one third of the interior space. Either that’s going to waste A LOT of energy, or I’m quite lost. More interesting is the brochure’s information Kazakhstan’s stratification of classes, low population density, and recent urbanization. In a shockingly frank statement, the brochure states that the target audience are A, A+, and B classes. So much for the proletariat, eh? 
Still, compared to what Fosters & company have in store for the super rich in Egypt, the big tent in Astana seems almost like charity work. What’s that? You haven’t heard of their plans in Egypt? Behold Serrenia!
In total there will be more than 1000 apartments ranging in price from $1.7 million to $25 million. The project will include a 200-bedroom luxury hotel.
Helicopters will be located on site to transport residents to famous sites in Egypt, while Ferraris and Lamborghinis will be available for residents’ use. Chefs will be on call to prepare food for guests with just 24 hours’ notice.
Construction work on the scheme will begin this year and will take about 3½ years to complete and expected to finish in 2010.
If you like feeling poor, look at all the features and luxuries you’ll never get to take part in. It must be a kind of jealousy that makes me wish to see the whole mess on the bottom of the Red Sea, trampled by a few million Hebrew pedestrians. Or better yet, the setting of the next {Time of Day} of the Dead movie, its residents torn asunder [literally] by the raging global zombocalypse! In any event, I am wondering if the world economy is going to affect this project? Perhaps not – the über rich are always rich, and this is definitely their playground.
This post was written by...
Michael Hancock-Parmer – author of 158 posts on Registan.net.
Michael earned an MA in Central Eurasian Studies in 2011 and remains a student at Indiana University pursuing a dual PhD in Russian History and Central Eurasian Studies. He served 6 months in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in 2005. After the events in Andijan and the subsequent closure of the program, he served 2 years in southern Kazakhstan, returning to the Midwest in 2007. His general area of interest is on post-Timur Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, centered on the Syr Darya river valley.
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{ 9 comments }
Wow. I want to see real photos of this. When I was there Akmola was a crumbling grey mess. Is the town really growing and changing that fast?
yes want to see photos of corse .
Jimbo, Araba
It shouldn’t be hard to find photos, but you can also see 3D of the city on GoogleEarth at least of most new buildings.
I believe they’ve made a mistake about their taget audiece. You’re right it’s not a good word about classes. But…everywhere in the world there are places where some people can go and some cannot. It’s pure capitalizm. I think the price will be not higher than visiting Disneyland (70-100 usd/person), it’s not for everyday visits. It’s not build by Government, but enterpreneurs. So it’s their choice.
And the third picture is not Khan Shatyr, but a development in Romania or Hungary.
2 jimbo & araba: you can find the construction pics on http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=511231&page=11
This is just another pathetic project to serve the very top strata of population, when millions are barely staying afloat. 70-100 USD/person is pretty much the monthly budget for my my and dad in KZ, and there are so many families barely making ends meet! I won’t even mention the retired elders! How can those in the government live with themselves after knowingly directing money into projects like this? How can the sense of entitlement and disdain be so strong?
Atenbek,
The pictures are great!
Sorry, Stan.
Stan is right. In Africa they call that ‘white elephants’.
Turgai,
Is it a new species of elephants? Please let me know about a reference. As far as I know there had only been two species of elephants in Africa, Forest and Bush elephants, and two species of rhinos, White and Black. Although White rhinos do not really look white. So, if a new species of elephants has been discovered, it is very interesting story!
Yep. Relatively new.
Wikipedia: “A white elephant is a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) exceeds its usefulness.”