In the CityIn the CityPhoto: Quarot, общественное достояние (CC0) · source
From the outside, Khan Shatyr resembles a gigantic semi-transparent tent stretched on cables, and this impression is even more striking when you step inside. Daylight streams through the three-layer membrane, and beneath the dome you will find not only shops and a cinema but also an entire indoor resort—a beach club with a tropical climate and real sand where you can sunbathe while it's twenty degrees below zero outside. For many visitors to the city, this temperature contrast itself is the main attraction.
The building opened on July 6, 2010, on Astana Day, according to a design by Foster + Partners. The spire reaches a height of 150 meters, the total area covers approximately 127,000 square meters, and the membrane made of three-layer ETFE plastic is engineered to retain heat in winter and prevent overheating in summer. Khan Shatyr is the world's largest tensile structure and one of the most recognizable landmarks of modern Astana, on par with Bayterek.