The future city planned by architect Kisaki Kurokawa in Kazakhstan was still expanding

Being a representative architect in Japan who died in 2007Kisho KurokawaDo you know that he was producing the new capital of Kazakhstan in Central Asia?

Hello!World newspaperA special reporterTomohiro Uetake (Tomohiro Utame)is. I am currently traveling around the world, I am in Kyrgyzstan in the 14th country (Red line is an air route, Blue line is traveling over the land).


◆ Do not know anything to a freezing country
I was staying in Nepal until November 12, the next time I was aiming was Kazakhstan. The chance was written on the official website of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan,Nationality holders of 10 countries including Japan etc. from July 15, 2014 to the same day 2015 can stay for up to 15 days without a visaInformation. If you do not need a visa ... ... I decided to fly to Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, from such an easy feeling.

What is Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is an independent country on December 16, 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, bordering the border with the Russian Federation, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.


I saw barefoot on sandals, a light appearance of Parker on a T - shirt and I landed in Kazakhstan I saw a snowy scene ...


Temperature was 0 degree at 15 o'clock, after that, I stayed in Astana for 6 days, but it was a cold cold place with a day of minus 16 degrees during the day.


◆ Astana is a future city
I was surprised at the cold, but the scenery of surprises I saw was the cityscape. A near-futuristic building is placed in the symmetry as if it came on a time machine, not an airplane. In the center of the picture is the presidential palace called AKORDA.


In the town there are many avant - garde buildings that can not be seen in Japan, yet it is hard to say west. This building was a concert hall.


◆ What building is it used for?
What on earth are these buildings used for? Some buildings have names, but the same Cyrillic letters as in Russia are used in Kazakhstan ... it is not easy to know the purpose of the building. By the way, this picture is a bank called "Tsenna Bank".


Because it is a cold season, the door is closed tightly, the guards come out and trying to get in, it is quite a hurdle height that the English will not be able to communicate in English.


◆ Clues for the future cities were inside the pyramid
The building which is used for what purpose, the key to solve such a swelling mystery were hidden in this pyramid-like building.


You can enter at 600 Tenge (approx. 390 yen) and a special guide will guide you through Russian and English every 30 minutes.


It is said that this building is called "PALACE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION" and when the conference where world leaders of religion gathered was held in 2003, the president suggested that the building of the British architectNorman FosterHe said that it was designed by Mr. It is still a conference hall for religious leaders who are held once every three years, as well as being used for art galleries, exhibition rooms, concert halls, etc. At the top of the pyramid is a donut shaped conference hall named cradle (cradle).


Looking from the bottom it seems as if it is floating in the air.


There was also a document exhibition, aerial photographs of future cities were displayed.


You can enjoy the fantastic cityscape wrapped in snow in winter, but if you visit in warm time, you will be able to enjoy green future city.


Below the aerial photograph, there was an explanation that the use of Astana building was written in Kazakh, Russian and English.


◆ The Japanese who designed the future city
It is a future city that seems to be sorry for not being so spectacular, but it is the Japanese who planned this city.Article of Wikipedia's "Astana"According to "Astana became the capital city in 1997, it was a Japanese architect who was elected No. 1 in the international competition held in 1998Kisho KurokawaConstruction is continued according to Mr. urban planning plan, and the completion of the entire city is said to be 2030 years. " Speaking of Mr. Kurokawa Kisho, not only did we design a number of facilities and cities both in Japan and abroad, but also many people who remained in memory because they ran for Tokyo Governor's election?

Previously, Mr. Kurokawa's Malaysia ·Kuala Lumpur International AirportWhen I visited, I watched "This was designed by the Japanese people", but I did not know that the city which he invented in Kazakhstan was also built indeed.

◆ I visited the future city
I went around several buildings based on English explanations of the panel which was exhibited in the pyramid.

1: SHABYT
This building whose center is open like a donut is said to be a multipurpose hall / conference hall built in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the capital.


2: MONUMENT "KAZAKH ELY"
It is an independent memorial monument designed at a height of 91 meters after Kazakhstan's independent year (1991).


3: KAZ MUNAY GAS BUILDING
This building whose center opens in a huge arch shape is a building of a state-owned company dealing with oil and natural gas.


4: THE PALACE OF INDEPENDENCE
This completed building in 2008 is used as a complex that includes events, forums, conference venues, as well as art galleries and historical museums.


5: NAZARBAYEV CENTER
The building like this searchlight seems to be used as a facility of chemistry / educational institution.


◆ Building to feel comfortable even for foreign travelers
Because the building introduced above also includes art galleries and museums, even foreigners may put it in, but the atmosphere to feel free to enter was not felt. In such circumstances, the facilities that we casually introduced are the following two cases.

6: BAYTEREK
It is a tower with a height of 105 meters, which is the best tourist attraction in Astana.


You can go up to the observation deck with 500 Tenge (about 325 yen), and you can see the future city 360 degrees.


Four pairs of newlyweds and married couples took a commemorative photo. It seems to be a popular tourist spot not only for foreign tourists but also for local people.


7: KHAN SHATYR
This building is a shopping mall opened in 2010, it seems to be the world's largest tent covered with ETFE (thermoplastic fluororesin).


Some of the stores include famous brand stores worldwide, fast food restaurants, supermarkets, theme parks for children.


◆ Night face of the future city
Even though it is a future city, it will not change from other cities at night. No, there is not such a thing. In the evening the futuristic building will shine brilliantly and show a different face from the daytime. The city is too bright and the sky is glowing white even at night.


The side of the building was entirely a huge screen. I did not understand the contents of the advertisement, but the impact is overwhelming anyhow.


Everyday there was a power outage in Nepal who stayed in the last minute, so we witnessed the abundant supply of electricity such as a glowing light up and a huge screen, "There is electricity I thought that it was ".


Background of future city construction
Anyway, why did Astana take the trouble to open an international competition and have taken the capital as a future city? Kisho Kurokawa Architectural City Design Office official siteKazakhstan New Capital Astana ProjectThe page of the urban plan of the time was described in detail in the page of.

According to it, the background that Astana became the city of the future is to "appeal the existence of Kazakhstan to the world by constructing a state-of-the-art new capital of the 21st century as a symbol of independence from the Soviet Union" It seems there was.

◆ The future of the future city
As mentioned above, it is in 2030 that the future city that gets prestige of the country will be completed. A new building is being built one after another within freezing point in the city.


And in 2017 we have decided to host the Astana Expo. When I looked it up, I also found a video of the competition designed by the Expo site. Regardless of which of these plans are adopted, Astana will have developed as a future city even more when the Expo is held.

Астана - город будущего EXPO 2017 - YouTube


◆ The scenery I thought was a long way ago was there
The impression I received when I visited Astana without knowing anything this time was "the future world I saw with Doraemon when I was a child." The future world that appears in Doraemon is set as 2112. I do not know the thing after 100 years, will Japan really be full of such futuristic buildings? "Maybe I think that the future world of Doraemon is not Japan ..."?

Futuristic city Astana who will have a milestone of development as 2017 and 2030. I can not wait until 2112! Why do not you come and visit Astana in time with these milestones? However, do not forget the equipment that can withstand temperatures below freezing when visiting in winter ....

Sentence / coverage: Tomohiro Uetakehttps://twitter.com/hiro_uetaken

Supervision: World newspaperSekaishinbun.net