The final shape of the world’s biggest transparent tent was revealed in a 3D model by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The area within will be larger than 10 football stadiums and will house a city with squares and cobbled streets, canals, shopping centers and golf courses. It is located in the capital Astana.

The 150m-high (500ft) dome, Khan Shatyry, is designed by UK architect Norman Foster. The tent is being made from special materials that absorb sunlight to create the green house effect inside. So when the outside temperature is -30℃(-22℉) the citizens of the Kazakh capital can play outdoor tennis, take boat rides or sip coffee on the pavement cafes, just as if they were in the middle of summer. “Nothing of the sort has been done before, and from the engineering point of view it’s an extremely difficult project,” says Fettah Tamince, the head of Turkey’s development company Sembol that is building the tent. Mr. Tamince is nevertheless confident the company can complete the construction in just 12 months.

References:

1.BBC news, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6165267.stm 2.http://www.khanshatyry.com (They also provide Russian version website.) 3.http://www.akorda.kz/page.php?page_id=360&lang=2&news_id=2649

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