Astana Cocert Hall, Kazakhstan

Arch. Manfredi Nicoletti, Luca Nicoletti
Abstract from a description by Studio Nicoletti: This auditorium – one of the largest in the world – was awarded to Studio Nicoletti as the result of an International restricted competition. Flying over the arid vastness of the steppes, we felt that what is really missing were flowers. We decided to build the “Flower of the Steppe”. Amidst this monumental void, the structures of the Auditorium rise like the petals of a flower animated through music. They create an envelope which encloses an internal piazza housing shops, balconies, restaurants, exhibition halls, two cinemas and the 3500 seats Auditorium entirely clad in wood inside and outside. Such internal multi-levelled piazza integrates with Astana’s system of public squares, while providing a space protected from the harsh local climate: a temperature range from -40 to +40 and salty winds.