The Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre is the world’s tallest tent structure.

Kazakhstan’s Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre has officially opened, becoming the tallest tensile structure in the world.

Standing at 150 metres tall in the country’s capital Astana, the tent-like, cable-net structure encloses a 100,000 square metres area beneath the dome, which houses a range of leisure activities, including shops, restaurants, cinemas, botanic gardens, and a water park with wave pool.

The building is designed to provide a “sheltered climatic envelope that provides a comfortable environment all year round” – temperatures in Astana range from -35°c in winter to +35°c in the summer.

Advanced technologies in the form of temperature controls and warm air currents help to stabilise the temperature and prevent the formation of ice on the inside of the tent in winter. In summer, fritting on the outermost foil layer provides solar shading, while vents and low-level jets direct cool air across the interior.

The four-year project was designed by British architects Foster + Partners. Nigel Dancey, Design Director at the company, said: “Khan Shatyr will be an important new destination for the people of Astana to enjoy at all times of the year, whatever the weather. We are delighted to celebrate its official opening today.

“With the Palace of Peace and Khan Shatyr, we are proud to have designed the two landmark structures for such prominent points along the city’s main axis – their forms express the change of emphasis and function, from religion to entertainment, as you pass along this grand new boulevard.”

Timed to coincide with President Nazarbayev’s birthday and the national Astana Day, the official opening took place on Monday 5 July, attended by the President and notable heads of state, with a performance by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.