A new 880 - square - mile - wide city is created in Kazakhstan, with an impressive 272 - meter skyscraper in its heart.
If someone only saw their images, they could easily believe it was a science fiction film scene. Yet, the impressive skyscraper the 272 metres planned in Kazakhstan is not yet another architectural vision left in the plans. It is the central part of a new city growing from scratch.
The Alatau Iconic Complex and Gateway District will be created in Alatau, an ambitious new city near Almaty, which is planned to develop into an important economic and administrative centre in the region. In her heart a tower of 272 meters tall and 56 stories, designed by the American architectural office Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).
Numbers impress
The band will consist not only of a skyscraper. In total it will occupy about 276,800 square meters and will include a second tower 80 meters tall, which will host a five-star hotel and residences.
The main tower will combine office spaces and luxury apartments, while at the base of the complex there will be a three-storey podium of about 58,000 square meters, with shops, cultural spaces, entertainment and events.
The investment is equally impressive. The private capital earmarked for the project goes beyond $800 million, while the completion of the band is scheduled for the end of 2029.
Inspired by the mountains
His unusual form is not accidental. The two towers are designed with scaled, asymmetric surfaces, which refer to the valleys, glaciers, and geological configurations of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountain range.
The result is a building more reminiscent of huge sculpture than a conventional skyscraper. The different levels create balconies and large verandas, while the facades are designed to limit solar radiation.
But there is also a practical reason behind the particular design. The area is characterized by high seismicity and thus the static study of the complex includes specific seismic protection and energy damping systems, so that constructions can respond to severe seismic stress.
A city from scratch
Perhaps, however, the most interesting element in history is not even the skyscraper. Alatau is a huge urban development plan that predicts a total area of approximately 880 square kilometres and is divided into four different areas. The Gate District, where the Iconic Complex will be located, is intended to be the economic and business center of the new city.
Designers also predict railway connections, light rail lines, green avenues and large public spaces. The idea is to create a new urban hub connecting Almaty with the wider region of Central Asia.
SOM is no random option for such a project. The office has designed some of the most recognized buildings in the world, including Burj Khalifa in Dubai and One World Trade Center New York.
If the timetable is kept, By the end of 2029 the skyscraper of 272 meters will be the tallest building in the Almaty area and in southern Kazakhstan, turning the futuristic plan into a new symbol of a city that is currently under formation.
