Architectural Guide Astana

by Philipp Meuser (Editor), Adil Dalbai, Guido Herz

Amid the endless plains of Kazakhstan, an extraordinary architectural experiment has arisen: Astana. Formerly an outpost of the Tsarist Empire in the barren steppe, the location had developed into a typical Soviet provincial town. However, both internationally renowned and local architects are now designing spectacular and unique buildings in this dynamic city. Furthermore, Astana will host the Expo 2017 which will take place only twenty years after the city was built in the steppe alongside the old centre. The Astana Architectural Guide documents eighty diverse buildings and projects in the Kazakh metropolis, which was masterplanned by Kisho Kurokawa, and examines the contradictory nature at play within oriental traditions, western models and Soviet influences. Therefore, this publication represents a critical analysis of architecture and capital city planning in the centre of Eurasia.

244 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2015

Reviews

[Grégoire Maillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great one on the birth of a new capital, the design process of a new city, very interesting history linked to the establishment of this new capital, great interview with the architect and the thinking process, and loved the World Expo bit at the end! However, reading it in 2026, it feels like it aged a bit, I would be curious of an updated version.