Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan

Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, is being constructed in an austere eastern landscape with an inhospitable climate that can generate temperatures of -35 degrees in winter and +35 degrees Celsius in summer. The Khan Shatyry Entertainment Center will provide the city with a range of civic, cultural and social amenities sheltered within a climatic envelope – a ‘world within’ – that offers a comfortable microclimate and lush landscape, year round, whatever the weather.

Located at the northern end of the new city axis, the masted structure soars 150 metres from an elliptical base to form the highest peak on the Astana skyline. Enclosing an area in excess of 100,000 square metres it comprises an urban-scaled park, along with a wide variety of shopping and leisure facilities, including cafes, restaurants and cinemas, and entertainment spaces that can accommodate a varied programme of events and exhibitions. The different levels step up the height of the building in undulating terraces. A swimming pool is enclosed within an ETFE dome, is located at the top of the building with dramatic views over the city and the Steppes beyond. Modelled on a tropical water park, the space incorporates a wave pool, sand beach and water slides.

The tent-like cable-net structure is clad in a three-layer ETFE envelope, a material that allows daylight to wash the interiors while sheltering them from weather extremes. While the buildings within the envelope are fully conditioned, the target temperatures in the landscaped areas are +15 degrees Celsius in winter and +30 degrees in summer. In winter, a key challenge is to prevent the formation of ice on the inside of the envelope. This is achieved by a combination of temperature control and directing warm air currents up the inner fabric surface, a strategy that also prevents downdraughts. In summer, fritting on the outermost foil layer provides solar shading. Inside, low-level jets direct cool air across the space, while opening vents at the apex induce stack-effect ventilation.

Client: operated by FTG company , Sembol Construction
Consultants: Buro Happold, Buro Happold, Charles Funke Associates , Claude Engle , ALKAS Consulting , Istanbul Technical University , Mechanical -Vemeks Engineering Ltd, Electrical - HB Teknik, Montage Services , OZUN PROJE Ltd + Arce , SAMKO Engineering Contracting Co. Inc., Vector-Foiltec