Rising 272 metres, the landmark skyscraper of Kazakhstan’s planned futuristic Alatau City will boast central atria that draw natural light deep into its floorplates and panoramic views of the surrounding Tian Shan mountains.

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) — a Chicago-headquartered global practice of architects, designers, engineers and planners, whose portfolio of work includes the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, One World Trade Center in New York and Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai — the Alatau Iconic Complex and Gateway District is inspired by the surrounding Trans-Ili Alatau, a range of valleys, glaciers and stratified terrain in the Tian Shan mountain system. 

Adjacent to the skyscraper, planned to be the tallest structure in Kazakhstan’s southeastern Almaty region, will be an 80-metre tower with a luxury hotel and branded residences.

Kazakhstan’s government held its first investment roadshow for Alatau City last October in Seoul. Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, described it as a “testbed-type city” designed to pilot advanced technologies.

Smart city transport is envisaged as including “flying cars”, or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and express rail and light rail transit (LRT). Alatau City will be located along the Almaty-Qonaev highway, part of the Western Europe-Western China transport corridor.

To cover 88,000 hectares across four districts, the city project is led by Alatau City Development Group LLP alongside long-term investors and government partners supporting the investment as a strategic national initiative.

In a note on earthquake resistance, SOM said the region’s “high seismic conditions drive the project’s integrated architectural and structural design. Structural resilience is embedded in the architecture, with seismically resilient framing and damping systems—proven in high-seismic regions such as Japan and Taiwan—that dissipate earthquake energy and ensure long-term safety and post-disaster functionality”.