The tent, as a temporary structure, has been known since Biblical times. Jabal, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents, and during the Israelites' wanderings in the desert, life also took place in this type of temporary dwelling. The tent has long been considered a symbol of nomadic life, as many nomads of Asia and North Africa use it to this day, and it is an integral part of everyday life. From the Turkic languages, the word tent is translated as “roof”, and for many peoples who have left their original culture, tents remain an important milestone in the history of their forefathers. For example, in Kazakhstan they decided to pay tribute to this type of housing by building a large shopping and entertainment center Khan Shatyr in the form of a huge tent.
As of today, Khan Shatyr is the largest tent in the world. Opened in July 2010, in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, the building has become a new symbol of the city, as well as the largest shopping center in the country. The main idea when creating such a building was to translate into reality a place where citizens could spend their leisure time and take a break from everyday life, since Astana is also the business center of the country.
Khan Shatyr got its name not by chance. The fact is that some sources claim that the name means “Khan’s Tent,” however, but in fact the name of the complex is defined as “Khan of Tents,” that is, the main one among the tents, by analogy with the Tsar Cannon or the Tsar Bell in Moscow .
Khan Shatyr was built over 4 years, in 2006-2010. The British architectural company Foster and Partners was involved in the construction of the building, known for such unusual projects as the Mary Ax skyscraper (London Gherkin), Hong Kong International Airport, Commerzbank Tower in the center of Frankfurt am Main. The author of the project was the British architect, laureate of the Imperial and Pritzker Prizes, honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts Baron Norman Foster.
After the opening of the building in 2010, Forbes Style magazine included Khan Shatyr in the list of the world's 10 best environmental buildings. What is characteristic is that this is the only building from the entire CIS that was included in the hit parade of the best architectural solutions. Khan Shatyr is considered an eco-building due to its external coating, from the German company Vector Foiltec, which has a special chemical composition that protects the space of the complex from sudden temperature changes and creates a favorable microclimate inside the building. This coating allows sunlight to pass through, which, combined with air circulation inside the building, creates a temperature of up to +30°C in the main room, and up to +24°C in the departments.
Khan Shatyr has a total area of 127 thousand m², which can accommodate about 15 football fields. The tent's spire reaches a height of 150 meters, which is equivalent to a 50-story skyscraper. The base of the tent is elliptical, with dimensions of 200 by 195 meters. The building is constructed from a network of steel cables with a transparent polymer coating attached to them. The cable network is attached to a steel tripod, which weighs up to 635 tons. The weight of the network, fastenings, spire and the coating itself is 1.76 thousand tons, and the reinforcement and concrete base is 432 thousand tons. Khan Shatyr cost the owners 400 million US dollars.
Inside the complex there are shopping and entertainment departments, a supermarket, a park, cafes and restaurants, cinemas, gyms, a water park, office space and parking for 700 cars, but the main highlight is still a sandy beach with a tropical climate and plants, in which the temperature is maintained year-round + 35°C. What’s most interesting is that the sand for this recreation area was brought directly from the Maldives.
Khan Shatyr was opened in July 2010 and dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. The opening ceremony was accompanied by a concert by world performer, Italian tenor of classical music Andrea Bocelli. The ceremony was attended by the President of Russia, the President of Ukraine, the President of Turkey, the President of Belarus, the President of Armenia, the President of Tajikistan, the President of Kyrgyzstan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Muhammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
The Khan Shatyr complex in Astana is not only one of the symbols of the Kazakh capital, but also the largest tent in the world. “Khan Shatyr” is the first and only professional lifestyle center in the city, combining world-class shopping and entertainment under one roof. The total area of this large shopping and entertainment center is 127 thousand square meters. m, and the height is 150 m. From the Kazakh language, the name of the center is translated as “Khan’s Tent”. The architect of this building is the famous architect Norman Foster.
The long-awaited opening of the shopping center took place in July 2010 and was timed to coincide with the celebration of the Day of the City of Astana with the participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. The grand opening ceremony featured a concert by the world-famous performer, Italian tenor of classical music A. Bocelli.
The Khan Shatyr building houses entertainment and retail shopping complexes, including a supermarket, cinemas, cafes, restaurants, a family park, gyms, a water park and wave pools, various office and service premises, parking and much more. The main highlight of Khan Shatyr is the beach resort with a tropical climate and plants. The resort's sandy beaches are equipped with a modern heating system, which allows you to create the feeling of a real beach.
The shopping center building in the form of a huge transparent tent is constructed from a network of steel cables. Thanks to a special chemical composition, the tent protects the interior space of the shopping complex from sudden temperature changes and creates a comfortable microclimate inside the center.
According to Forbes Style magazine, the Khan Shatyr shopping center is among the world's ten best eco-buildings.
– is already a very attractive state in itself with the charming capital Astana. Majestic mountains, huge deserts and beautiful forests will not leave any person indifferent. However, not only natural attractions, but also historical and modern ones delight. What's it worth? Shopping center "Khan Shatyr", which has become a striking landmark in the modern architecture of Astana.Today I will tell you about this interesting attraction of Astana, about its entertainment and attractions, about prices and promotions.
"Khan Shatyr" is considered the main huge entertainment facility of the city and the largest tent in the world, because its spire has a height of 150 meters with a total area of 127 thousand square meters. m. Construction of this incredible masterpiece of modern engineering began back in 2006. The entertainment center was designed by Norman Foster, which became quite famous thanks to some other architectural wonders of Astana. And here his skill did not fail: “Khan Shatyr” is a real miracle of the capital.
Although it was planned to complete the construction within several years, weather and technical factors did not contribute to this. And only in the middle of the summer of 2010, the grand opening of the Khan Shatyr entertainment complex took place, which was attended by a huge number of people, among them were representatives of many countries, including Viktor Yanukovych and Dmitry Medvedev, and ordinary people of the capital.
“Khan Shatyr” surprised me with its appearance, shaped like a huge transparent tent 150 meters high, which made the building the tallest in the world. This tent is supported by three poles with an outer surface containing many metal cables that converge towards the very top. The cables are stretched with a special transparent material that is resistant to strong temperature changes and can provide pleasant climatic conditions inside the building, no matter what time of year or natural disasters. In addition, I really liked the combination of the latest technologies in the field of architecture and the unusual and impressive design.
It is simply impossible to visit Astana without looking at Khan Shatyr, since in the very center of the city, not far from the President’s residence, it organically fits into the architecture of the buildings, and its size does not go unnoticed.
The first and second floors offer very stylish fashion gallery of the most popular brands, such as ZARA and Mark&Spencer, so shopping lovers will have a place to spend their time profitably. Having risen higher with the help of specially equipped escalators, floors 3-5 pleased with the presence of wonderful entertainment and attractions.
The most beautiful and huge shopping center in Khan Shatyr, which impresses all tourists. There you will find entertainment not only for yourself, but also for children. Enjoy watching!
There are two ways to get to “Khan Shatyr”, located in Astana at 37 Turan Avenue.
At the same time, for those who are planning a short stay at the Sky Beach Club, there is a “Happy Hours” promotion, in which for a stay of 2.5 hours from 10:30 to 13:00 or from 18:30 to 21:00 will give 50% of the ticket price.
In addition, in the shopping center "Khan Shatyr" "Solar promotion" is in effect, in which you need to make a purchase before April 2 for 20 thousand tenge in order to win a trip for two to one of the Rixos hotels. More information about discounts and promotions can be found on the official page of the Khan Shatyr shopping center on Instagram - http://instagram.com/khanshatyr.
Opening hours of the Khan Shatyr shopping center: daily from 10:00 to 22:00.
I was very glad to visit such a wonderful and unique shopping and entertainment center in Khan Shatyr. It struck me with its massiveness and huge entertainment area, I would even say for every taste. What else do you think can be visited at Khan Shatyr, how can you have fun with the whole family? I look forward to your suggestions in the comments.
Khan Shatyr (Khan's Tent), designed by the famous British architect Lord Norman Foster, is one of the most recognizable buildings in Astana. This is the largest tented structure in the world, the height of which reaches 150 meters.
The outer walls of the complex consist of a special translucent plastic stretched over hundreds of metal cables. 650 climbers from seven countries took part in the installation of the structure. The five floors of the Tent of Khan are illuminated by natural sunlight, and at night there are fantastic lighting.
Transparent walls add additional charm to the year-round resort area on the 4th floor, where the water park pools and sandy beach with real plants are located. There is also a SPA center and entertainment area.
On weekends, “Khan Shatyr” can be visited by about 30 thousand people at the same time. It is located in the center of New Astana, which is also called the “Millennium Axis”. From here you have a magnificent view of the city.
GAP, Reebok, Adidas, Nike, Trussardi, Finn Flare, Orchestra, Yves Rocher, L"Occitane, Bershka, Next, Pull&Bear, Timberland, Springfield, Cortifiel, Tween Damat, Climber, Colin"s, O"Stin, LTB, Lacoste , Vero Moda, Jack Jones, Intertop, Mondian, Swarovsky, Steve Madden, Nine West, Baldinini, Geox, Clarks, Ramsey, Celio, Carlo Pazolini, Women" Secret, La Senza, Berghoff, LC Waikiki, Ecco, Glamour, Motivi, Respect, Elite eBrends, Spring.
City buses No. 20, 32, 35, 43, 46 go to the shopping center.
“Khan Shatyr” fits harmoniously into the urban architecture of the capital. Many technologies and materials used in the construction of the complex are the latest developments in the field of construction and have not been used anywhere in the world before. The unique shell of the tent covering the building makes it possible to maintain a microclimate that is comfortable for humans inside, even if snowstorms and frosts are raging outside. Inside the building there are special stepped terraces planted with plants from different climatic zones of our planet. There is an observation deck on the topmost terrace, which offers a magnificent view of the winter gardens. In the center of the building there is a large area intended for holding various exhibitions and entertainment attractions.
On an area of 41 thousand square meters. m. there are all kinds of shopping pavilions, cafes, restaurants, cinemas. In addition to retail and service businesses, there are beauty salons and modern fitness centers. The tropical water garden and artificial lagoon are especially attractive to visitors. On its shore, a magnificent beach of snow-white sand has been recreated, which was specially brought from the distant islands of the Maldives archipelago. The lagoon is formed by several interconnecting pools, and artificially created waves splash on the surface of one of them. Here, at any time of the year, you can feel like you are at one of the Mediterranean resorts, without experiencing the difficulties of a tiring flight.
This building is incredibly different from most buildings not only in Astana, but also in many large cities in Kazakhstan and Russia. A very detailed National Geographic film in the “Superstructures” series talks about the stages of construction of a giant tent. Here are short excerpts from this film:
This eco-friendly building was included in the top 10 eco-buildings around the world according to Forbes Style. Moreover, it became the only representative of the CIS.