The city might not be on the lips of the architectural elite, but Kazakhstan’s capital Astana now has the world’s biggest tent to pride itself on, Dubai-style.

The Khan Shatyr (or ‘Royal Marquee’, in English) measures an astounding 150 meters high, with a 200 meter elliptical base covering 140,000 square meters, an area larger than 10 football stadiums. It was unveiled on 5 July by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in a star-studded event.



Designed by British architect Lord Norman Foster, the Khan Shatyr is a lifestyle, shopping and entertainment center.

The giant tent will also house an indoor beach resort, and the whole thing is climate-controlled in accordance to the -35 to +35 degrees Celsius temperatures the nation experiences across the year.

Borat’s got nothing on this one.

If you have other interesting design and art finds, cool websites, or anything that might catch our eye, share it with us at news -at- hillscreativearts -dot- com!




This news message is supported by The Bazaar, a marketplace to buy and sell creative objects. Earn more revenue by selling your prints, downloadable images, or custom products. Set up your store today and stand a chance to have your products featured on DesignTAXI, towards millions of lovers of creative content!