Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall

The Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall is one of the more sculptural buildings in Astana — a cluster of curved titanium petals enclosing a 3,500-seat auditorium and several smaller halls. The design, by Italian architect Manfredi Nicoletti, opened in 2009 and remains a useful landmark on the eastern half of the left bank.

The programme is broad — symphony concerts, Kazakh folk performances, pop concerts, international touring acts. Acoustic quality is good in the main hall. Even outside performance times the building rewards a walk around the exterior to take in the unusual geometry; lighting at night picks out the curved edges of the petals.

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The hall looks like an enormous flower in bloom — eight petals of titanium-clad steel rising at angles from the central drum. The architect, Italian firm Manfredi Nicoletti, said the design was inspired by the petals of Kazakhstan's national flower, the tulip, which grows wild on the steppe in spring.

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