Astana - Bayterek
In 2002, the monument “Astana – Bayterek” was erected in the centre of Astana city. This monument proves that the history of the Kazakh people is like a mighty tree with a wide-spreading crown and strong, long roots that reach seven layers deep into the earth. The roots reach far and the leaves are high; we will grow and develop, that is the meaning of the object.
The Bayterek in the city centre supports the sky. The building is 97 metres high and symbolises the year in which the new capital was proclaimed. According to the architectural design, the Bayterek consists of three parts:
– The first part, the lower level, goes down 4-5 metres. Here there is a small model of an underwater kingdom – a 7-metre aquarium in which fish swim.
– The second part is the Bayterek, a metal structure on which two low-noise MITSUBISHI high-speed lifts run.
– The third part is a sphere with a diameter of 22 m and a weight of 300 tons, made of the chameleon glass SUN GLASS, which changes its colour depending on the sunlight and symbolises the golden egg of the magic bird Samruk.
To visit the glass sphere, you have to take the panoramic lift to the very top of Bayterek. You will first reach a platform from which you can admire the city from a height of 93 metres. From here you can see the new administrative centre as if in the palm of your hand. The Akorda, the government building, Fountain Avenue, the Senate, the Majilis, the Supreme Court, the buildings of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Transport and Communications, the buildings of KazMunayGas, KazTransOil – everything blossoms before your eyes.
From the high tower, the vast steppe has a magical effect, and you stare at the huge horizon for a long time until it disappears into the night. At the highest level, 97 metres above the ground, there is an imprint of the palm of the first president of Kazakhstan, Ayaly-Alakan. When you put your hand on it, the song “Menin Elim” is heard, and it seems that all of Kazakhstan is singing along.
If you admire the tower at night, specially installed night lighting colours Bayterek with up to five hundred shades, as lighting is achieved by special computer means.
Today, “Astana – Bayterek” is a popular place not only for the residents of Astana and the Republic, but also for all visitors from near and far abroad. In 2002, the Grand Prix won the 10th International Competition of the International Union of Architectural Associations of the CIS countries and the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Moscow, St. Petersburg won the Grand Prix and the gold medal. In 2003, Astana was awarded the Silver Medal for the Architecture of the New City at the World Triennial of Architecture in Sofia, Bulgaria. In the same year, she was unanimously awarded the Grand Prix and Gold Medal at the Festival of Architects in Bishkek.
