Unique sights of Astana.

“One of the undoubted and pure joys is rest after work”

Immanuel Kant

Visit to Khan-Shatyr shopping center.

Khan Shatyr is the tallest building in Astana, the largest shopping and entertainment center in Central Asia and the tallest building in the world in the form of a tent. The festively decorated square in front of Khan Shatyr accommodated more than four thousand people.
Shopping and entertainment center "Khan-Shatyr" was opened on July 6, 2010. The total area of ​​Khan Shatyr is 127 thousand square meters. "Khan Shatyr" - another creation of the famous architect Norman Foster. America, the United Arab Emirates, Italy - this is not the whole list where the objects of the architect have already been completed, which have become a matter of pride for the citizens of these countries. Now Norman Foster’s “track record” has been supplemented by the Kazakhstani “wonder of the world”.
Khan-Shatyr is the only building in the CIS that Forbes Style magazine has included in its hit parade. Among the advantages, the publication names a transparent polymer coating, which allows you to create an artificial climate under a giant tent, a multi-stage temperature control system, a greenhouse and many other advantages.
The building is a giant tent with a spire 150 meters high, constructed from a network of steel cables, on which a transparent polymer coating ETFE is fixed. Due to its special chemical composition, it protects the interior of the complex from sudden temperature changes and creates a comfortable microclimate inside the complex.
"Khan Shatyr" fits perfectly into the architecture of Astana, it closes the main axis of the city center, starting from the residence of the president and a complex of government buildings. Many of the technologies and materials used in the construction of the tent are unique, some of them were used for the first time.
The unique shell of the tent allows you to maintain a comfortable microclimate inside the structure, even if snowstorms rage outside or frost is rampant. Consistently good weather and plenty of sunshine is the visiting card of Khan Shatyr.
Inside there is a lot of greenery, which in nature grows in various climatic zones, and here it is located on stepped terraces. All this can be admired from the very top terrace, equipped with an observation deck. A spacious flexible area in the center of the building is reserved for exhibition and entertainment events.
40,000 comfortable square meters are given to all kinds of cafeterias, restaurants, cinemas and shops. Of particular charm are the tropical water garden and man-made lagoon with a magnificent beach with soft sand, brought from the distant Maldives.
The “Lagoon” is formed from those interconnected pools, the smooth surface of one of which is disturbed by artificial waves. Here you can relax at any time of the year and enjoy a holiday comparable to a vacation in the Mediterranean, but without the “charms” of a tiring flight.
Thanks to the opening of the center, more than 1.5 thousand residents of Astana will receive permanent work.

Authority:
From materials of news agencies. 2011

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.