Covered by what is claimed to be the world’s tallest tensile structure, the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center has opened in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Photo: Courtesy Nigel Young, Foster + Partners

Designed by London-based Foster+Partners, the 150-meter-tall transparent tent is clad in cushions of insulating ethyl tetra fluoro ethylene to shelter Kazakhs from their harsh climate.

With a 250 x 230-m elliptical footprint, the tent encloses a park as well as entertainment and leisure facilities.

The structure’s design-build team includes Sembol Construction, Antalya, Turkey, and structural engineer Buro Happold, London.