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Since 2006, kazakhstan's new capital city of astana, itself an enormous hub
of construction since it inherited the title in 1997, has been home to one of
the world's most impressive and visually futuristic pyramids, known as the
palace of peace and reconciliation. it was designed by british super-architects
foster + partners, cost 8.74 billion kazakh tenge (i don't need to tell you
bright young humans that this equates to approx. £35m) and was built to
accommodate the triennial 'congress of world and traditional religions'. if
there was ever a positive to be found for the existence of the idiocy we know
and love as religion, this building could be it, as after an impressively rapid
2 years of design and construction, the end product is a masterpiece.
Above: the visible 5-storey pyramid section of the palace is as high as its base
is wide (203ft) and is to be the centrepiece of the country's 'presidential
park'.
Above: a plan of the pyramid. the interior is just as impressive as the outer
skin. this place is like a tardis and below the above-ground pyramid itself
sits, amongst other things, an enormous 1'500 seat opera house - see final photo
below.
Above: the pyramid's 2 storey tip is home to the congress chamber, a space which
has been surrounded by 10'100 sq feet of stained glass designed by renowned british artist brian clarke.
Above: inside the congress chamber, possibly one of the smartest meeting rooms on
earth.
Above: the dove-covered stained glass of the congress chamber.
Above: the view as you look through the middle of the congress chamber's
circular table. walking down to the next level takes you through nearly a whole
storey of greenery, below which is the amazing atrium seen in the next photo.
Above: the atrium, and another incredible conference table.
Above: looking up from the atrium towards the upper section. this enormous space
is surrounded by walls of rooms, 5 floors high, to be used both for meetings and
accommodation.
Above: the opera house beneath the atrium. the domed ceiling sits below the
enormous circular table belonging to the room Above. for more detailed info
about the pyramid i'd suggest reading this article by ellis woodman.
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