07 Jun 2017
Countdown begins for Astana architecture expo devoted to 'future energy'
BY Kim Megson
The countdown has begun in earnest for the 2017 international architecture exposition in Astana, Kazakhstan.
On 10 June, visitors will be able to explore the city’s futuristic new Expo City, which includes 28 buildings themed around the concept of ‘Future Energy’.
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) masterplanned the site and have designed several of the buildings.
The 174 ha site features exhibition and cultural pavilions (118,620sq m); service areas including shopping, socio-cultural, educational and civic facilities; parks (72,000sq m); and parking.
International pavilions representing 115 nations – including one developed for the UK by architect Asif Khan in collaboration with music icon Brian Eno – are laid out in a semi-circle around a huge central glass dome. This structure, called Nur Alem, is formed of 2,824 glass panels and weighs more than 13,000 tons.
Leisure forms a key component of Expo City, with the design team creating venues that can be easily converted into museums, performing arts halls and exhibition spaces after the three month exposition comes to a close.
The ambitious Expo seeks to showcase alternative forms of energy and transport to fly the flag for green and sustainable practices. AS+GG’s goal was to minimise the site’s energy-use while maximising its energy-harvesting potential, allowing the Expo to be powered mostly by renewable sources – including wind and solar.
Strategies incorporated into the building design include high-performance glazing that will maximise solar heat gain in winter and provide shading in summer; exposed thermal mass that will provide temperature modulation; and the widescale recycling of waste generated on site.
AS+GG won an international competition for the project ahead of 104 other entries. They have worked under a design-build contract with IT Engineering, a group consisting of Sembol Construction and Mabetex Group.
The exposition will run from 10 June - 10 September. A post-exposition legacy phase will then follow, converting the site into an innovation park expected to be one of the most sustainable in the world.
Two new videos promoting the Expo and showcasing some of the completed buildings can be viewed below:
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