CGI visuals show the two wedge-shaped towers inspired by the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, which can be seen in the distance (Picture: SOM/Cover Media)

Rising from the landscape in a shimmer of glass, these futuristic towers could fit seamlessly into Dubai’s slick skyline.

But this $800million (£600 million) development has a backdrop of mountains instead of desert and by 2029 will be the gateway to a new city.

The project will be the centrepiece of Alatau, in Kazakhstan, which is being built just outside the country’s former capital Almaty.

At the heart of the scheme are two striking, asymmetrical towers shaped like wedges, inspired by the dramatic valleys and glaciers of the nearby Trans-Ili Alatau mountain range.


An artist’s impression of the Alatau Iconic Complex lit up at night (Picture: SOM/Cover Media)


Preparatory work has already underway, with major excavation set to begin in May (Picture: SOM/Cover Media)

The 276,800 square metresdevelopment, dubbed the Alatau Iconic Complex and Gateway District, is being led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) – the firm behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and New York’s One World Trade Center.

At 272 metres, its main tower will be the tallest building in the region and will house offices alongside high-end residential apartments.

A second, smaller tower reaching 80 metres will contain a luxury hotel and more residential accommodation.


The design draws inspiration from glaciers and valleys in the surrounding mountain range (Picture: SOM/Cover Media)

The base of the towers will feature a three-storey podium wrapped in greenery with shops, cultural venues and events space.

Designers aim to create a dense vertical neighbourhood with vast central atriums to provide natural light, cascading terraces and sweeping mountain views.

Engineers are also addressing the region’s high earthquake risk, with advanced structural solutions under consideration, including Japanese-style damping systems and American high-strength steel frameworks.


The 272m main tower will become the tallest building in southern Kazakhstan (Picture: SOM/Cover Media)

Preparatory work has already underway, with major excavation set to begin in May.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2029, in time for the Asian Winter Games which have been moved to Almaty from Saudi Arabia.

Once complete, Alatau is designed to be home to 1.87m people and welcome 4million tourists a year. Initial infrastructure is scheduled to be complete in 2030 with a masterplan running until 2050.

It is designed as a major economic and administrative hub and forms part of the New Silk Roads initiative, linking Central Asia with Europe and China.


The development will combine offices, homes, hotels and retail into a vertical district
(Picture: SOM/Cover Media)

Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and, over the last two decades, has poured billions of dollars into modernising its road and rail infrastructure, and transforming its capital Astana.

The city now features a slew of buildings which could have come straight from a sci-fi blockbuster, including the Kazakhstan Pavilion, built for Expo 2017, and the Baiterak monument topped with a distinctive golden sphere.


Construction is underway, with completion expected by the end of 2029 (Picture: SOM/Cover Media)

Despite these initiatives to modernise its economy and increase its status on the world stage, the country has been repeatedly criticised for its record on human rights.

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