Archinect - News

Oliver Wainwright on the glitzy starchitecture of Astana: "Like a teenager trying to show off"

2017-10-17T14:35:00-04:00

Architects have a thing for strong men, and the big global practices – from Norman Foster to Zaha Hadid – have piled in in a bid to help Kazakhstan’s dictator, Nursultan Nazarbayev, build himself a trophy city

Guardian architecture critic Oliver Wainwright reports from the Astana World Expo grounds as part of the paper's fascinating new series, Secret Stans, which offers a glimpse into the cities of the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

In his piece, Wainwright minces no words and describes the collection of petrodollar-funded starchitecture that Kazakhstan’s lone ruler, Nursultan Nazarbayev, enabled to grow from the Eurasian steppe as a "row of awards in a particularly gaudy trophy cabinet," and also questions the 'regime-enforcing' integrity of well known international architects who agreed to build it.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill wins Kazakhstan Astana World Expo 2017 competition

2013-11-01T13:55:00-04:00

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture's design proposal was selected for the 2017 Astana World Expo exhibition site. Construction of the two-phase development is expected to begin in March-April 2014.

Previously: Kazakhstan’s Astana World Expo 2017 Competition Attracts Big International Names

Kazakhstan’s Astana World Expo 2017 Competition Attracts Big International Names

2013-08-26T21:36:00-04:00

It's one step closer to finding the best design for the International Specialized Exposition (EXPO) 2017 exhibition site in Astana, Kazakhstan—the country's first world fair. For starters, some of the final designs include COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, UNStudio, Snøhetta, and Zaha Hadid Architects.

UPDATE: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill wins Kazakhstan Astana World Expo 2017 competition