The Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center was officially opened on July 5, 2010. The huge transparent tent structure offers a new civic, cultural and social venue, bringing together a wide range of activities within a sheltered climatic envelope that provides a comfortable environment all year round.
The 150m-high tent-like structure has a 200m elliptical base covering 140,000 square meters. The tent contains an area larger than 10 football stadiums including an urban- scaled park; a host of entertainment and leisure facilities including retail, cafes, restaurants and cinemas; and flexible spaces that can accommodate a variety of events and exhibitions. The different levels form undulating terraces, with the uppermost terrace forming a water park.
The roof is constructed from Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) suspended on a network of cables strung from a central spire. Temperatures in Astana can drop to -35 degrees Celsius in winter and rise as high as +35 degrees in summer. The three-layer ETFE envelope is designed to shelter the enclosed accommodation from weather extremes and to allow daylight to wash the interiors.
In winter, a combination of temperature control and directing warm air currents up the inner surface of the fabric, helps in preventing the formation of ice on the inside of the envelope. This strategy also prevents downdraughts. In summer, fritting on the outermost foil layer provides solar shading. Low-level jets direct cool air across the space, while opening vents at the apex stimulate stack-effect ventilation.
