coop himmelb(l)au envisions city of the future for expo 2017

coop himmelb(l)au envisions city of the future for expo 2017
image © coop himmelb(l)au

coop himmelb(l)au‘s concept for anstana’s 2017 expo, entitled ‘the city of the future’, is a sculptural yet functional design that responds to kazakhstan’s climate, as well as the the nature of its surrounding buildings. together with the ‘energy welcome tower’, the bold and dynamic proposal compliments the city’s existing urban fabric when placed alongside landmarks such as norman foster’s ‘khan shatyr entertainment center’, ‘the palace of peace and reconciliation’ and ‘the bayterek tower’.

responding to the expo’s theme of ‘future energy’, ‘city of the future’ densifies the built program, allowing as much ground area as possible to be utilized as communal green space. stacked vertically, the plan contains four themed pavilions: cosmos, world, life and mind. each individual structure acts as a small power plant, generating energy through their crafted forms and treated façades.

the scheme densifies the built program, allowing ground area to be utilized as communal space
image © coop himmelb(l)au

in the center of the composition, a vertically moving external performance space serves as a circulation route enabling access between the site’s different levels. this area is framed by the expo’s additional program, most importantly the national pavilion of kazakhstan – placed directly in front of the main entrance.

see designboom‘s coverage of the other shortlisted entries here.

the sculptural yet functional design responds to the region’s climate
image © coop himmelb(l)au

the bold and dynamic proposal compliments the city’s existing urban fabric
image © coop himmelb(l)au

the ‘energy welcome tower’ and fountain positioned at the entrance to the site
image © coop himmelb(l)au

the expo site, showing the ‘energy welcome tower’ in relation to the ‘city of the future’
image © coop himmelb(l)au

project model, detailing the scheme’s sculptural forms
image © coop himmelb(l)au

project info:

location: astana, kazakhstan
client: national company astana expo 2017, kazakhstan
site area: 250,000 sqm
total exhibition area (without national pavilions): 52,000 sqm

coop himmelb(l)au / wolf d. prix & partner ZT GmbH
principal in charge: wolf d. prix
senior project partner: michael volk
project partner: luzie giencke
project team: daniela kröhnert, laura ghita, luis pozo, herwig scherabon
3D visualization / 3D animation: jens mehlan
model building: paul hoszowski
graphic design: jan rancke