Astana, July 7 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) - The grand opening of Khan Shatyry Entertainment and Shopping Center designed by the British architect Norman Foster has been another contribution to festive events on the Day of Astana.
The opening ceremony held on Tuesday night was observed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev and his wife Sarah, and also visiting heads of state: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
A half an hour ceremony presented the performance of the Tuscan tenor Andrea Bocelli and was concluded with the fireworks long after midnight.
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center covering 134,000 of square meters is designed to service nearly 10,000 people at a time. The giant transparent tent shelters entertainment amenities, botanical gardens, artificial lake, shopping malls, indoor beaches, mini-golf fields, a five star hotel and offices.
Rixos Hotels, a hotel-chain owner, and Coalco Development are co-investors in the project.
Initially the opening of Khan Shatyry Entertainment Center was slated for the summer of 2009, but rescheduled for later dates with the final one falling on the Day of Astana.
The 15-m high tent uses ETFE material for the transparent roof that allows sunlight through which, in conjunction with air heating and cooling systems is designed to maintain an internal temperature between 15-30°C, while outside the temperature fluctuates sharply between -35 to +35°C across the year.
