Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
Encyclopedia
The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (also translated as the Pyramid of Peace and Accord) is a 77 m high building in Astana
, the capital of Kazakhstan
. The structure was built
by Sembol Construction at a cost of 8.74 billion Kazakh tenge (about $58 million) and opened in late 2006.
The pyramid portion of the building is 62 m high which sits on a 15 m high earth covered block. All of this construction is above ground level. Though the landscaping of the park rises up to cover the lower levels, these are not in fact basements.
It was designed by the British architects Foster and Partners
(lead design). Turkish architects, Tabanlıoğlu Architecture undertook construction information packages for the Foster design and engineers Buro Happold
undertook lead structural and services design. The Foster team was led by architects Nigel Dancey, Lee Hallman and Peter Ridley. Sembol Construction undertook a Design and Build contract, and were ultimately responsible for the final details and finishes, some of which varied considerably from the Foster and Tabanlıoğlu (Tabanlioglu) intent.
The design is of five "storeys" of triangles, each triangle being 12 m on a side. The lower portions, three "storeys" of triangles, are clad in pale granite
. The upper two rows of triangles, 4 triangles per side, form a glazed apex; instead of stone cladding the triangles of the apex feature a design of stained glass
by Brian Clarke
, incorporating dove
s.
Construction is of steel frame for the pyramid and concrete for the lower levels. The engineers had to design the building to withstand expansion and contraction due to temperature variations of over 80°C, from -40 to over 40°C - leading to an expansion of the building of up to 30cm.
The Pyramid was specially constructed to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. A 1,500-seat opera house
is built into the lower levels, with auditorium and performance equipment design by Anne Minors Performance Consultants and acoustics by Sound Space Design.
Astana
Astana , formerly known as Akmola , Tselinograd and Akmolinsk , is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 708,794 as of 1 August 2010...
, the capital of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. The structure was built
by Sembol Construction at a cost of 8.74 billion Kazakh tenge (about $58 million) and opened in late 2006.
The pyramid portion of the building is 62 m high which sits on a 15 m high earth covered block. All of this construction is above ground level. Though the landscaping of the park rises up to cover the lower levels, these are not in fact basements.
It was designed by the British architects Foster and Partners
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is an architectural firm based in London. The practice is led by its founder and Chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass-and-steel buildings....
(lead design). Turkish architects, Tabanlıoğlu Architecture undertook construction information packages for the Foster design and engineers Buro Happold
Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment, with its head office in Bath, Somerset...
undertook lead structural and services design. The Foster team was led by architects Nigel Dancey, Lee Hallman and Peter Ridley. Sembol Construction undertook a Design and Build contract, and were ultimately responsible for the final details and finishes, some of which varied considerably from the Foster and Tabanlıoğlu (Tabanlioglu) intent.
The design is of five "storeys" of triangles, each triangle being 12 m on a side. The lower portions, three "storeys" of triangles, are clad in pale granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The upper two rows of triangles, 4 triangles per side, form a glazed apex; instead of stone cladding the triangles of the apex feature a design of stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
by Brian Clarke
Brian Clarke
Brian Clarke is a British artist; a painter and architectural stained glass designer who has, most notably,worked in stained glass....
, incorporating dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
s.
Construction is of steel frame for the pyramid and concrete for the lower levels. The engineers had to design the building to withstand expansion and contraction due to temperature variations of over 80°C, from -40 to over 40°C - leading to an expansion of the building of up to 30cm.
The Pyramid was specially constructed to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. A 1,500-seat opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
is built into the lower levels, with auditorium and performance equipment design by Anne Minors Performance Consultants and acoustics by Sound Space Design.
External links
- Foster + Partners Palace of Peace and Reconciliation Astana, Kazakhstan, 2004-2006
- Palace of Peace and Reconciliation on Buro Happold official site
- Anne Minors Performance Consultants - project theatre consultant
- Sound Space Design, project acoustics consultant
- Hugh Pearman, "Gabion: The pyramid of peace: Norman Foster assumes the monumental mantle of Boullée. In Kazakhstan", expanded version of original story in The Sunday Times (London), February 20 2005, on hughperman.com
- Hugh Pearman, "Architecture: One steppe beyond", The Times (London), September 3, 2006
- "Pyramid puts President on map", The Times (London), October 17, 2006
- "Foster completes in Kazakhstan", World Architecture News, September 4, 2006
- Flickr: Palace of Peace