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NomadicCity [hotel as a temporary network]

NomadicCity [hotel as a temporary network

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NomadicCity [hotel as a temporary network]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 ABSTRACT

2.0 THESIS STATEMENT

3.0 RESEARCH 3.1 Area of Focus Summary 3.2 Literature Review 3.3 Questions/Theoretical Issues Raised 3.4 Architectural Issues 3.5 Architectural Precedents

4.0 SITE AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS 4.1 Annotated Aerial Photos and Maps 4.2 Site Documentation 4.3 Site Studies

5.0 PROGRAM 6.0 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STUDIES 6.1 Studies/Devices Revealing Architectonic Ideas

7.0 CONCLUSIONS

8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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As you plan a trip to Kazakhstan in 2017, leave the cookie cutter hotels behind and indulge in a truly unique nomadic experience in Central Asia

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NomadicCity [hotel as a temporary network]

Nomadism is increasingly relevant as practical solution to urgent building needs in the era of globalization and high mobility. Temporary architecture based on nomadic culture is well placed not only to save a wide range of architectural problems, but to do it better than more conventional responses.

2.0 THESIS STATEMENT

THESIS STATEMENTABSTRACT

Can a hotel be something different than a traditional building? Can it be a network in the city rather than one single construction? Or can it be reduced to a smaller space, like a single room, a pavilion, or …

1.0 ABSTRACT

thesis statement

working title

RESEARCH RESEARCH6 7

3.1 AREA OF FOCUS SUMMARY

3.0 RESEARCH

Location. The location of this project might be a mystery for many people and especially at the Western world. This fact is not surprising – the country [Kazakhstan] received its independence less than 25 years ago. The Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union kept most of its history under a dark shadow. Today Kazakhstan is an ambitious young country striving to get international recognition and, more importantly, reestablish its national identity.Territory. Kazakhstan lies in the heart of Eurasian continent, northern part of central Asian countries sharing its border with Rus-sia in the north and China in the east. It is the largest landlocked country and the 9th largest territory in the world (as big as the western Europe). In contrast to the vast land, its population density is among the lowest and the total population is only 18 million.

3.2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The project explores alternatives to the traditional hotels that are becoming more and more similar around the world as the pro-cess of globalization grows. This research is inspired by the nomadic culture of Central Asia and examines many different aspects of nomadic lifestyle and nomadic structures. The following part identifies the problem posed by an international event and briefly describes the historic and cultural framework of the project. Events of the scale of Olympic Games or Expo world fairs pose a problem of urgent need in additional accommodation for large influx of visitors. However, the demand for more lodging is temporary (especially in less touristic destinations), but we tend to re-spond by building more traditional permanent structures. In some cases these new buildings become extremely underutilized or even completely abandoned later and are often an economic burden to the local economy. Mobility, resourcefulness, and efficiency of nomadic communities of the past could be a source of inspiration and set of guides for new architectural alternatives to conventional hotels.

Google map. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

United States 15 hrs [nonstop]

Russia

China

RESEARCH RESEARCH8 9

Historic Overview. Kazakhstan – is a former nomadic civilization, starting anew and rebuilding its identity after decades under Soviet rule. It is a young nation aiming to become a key player in Central Asia. In 2017, Kazakhstan is hosting the largest event so far - Expo World Fair. While this is a boost to the country’s development and international reputation, the infrastructure is not adequate. Lack of accommodation presents one of the major challenges.

Kazakh KhanateXV - XIX centuries

USSR1920 - 1991

Republic of Kazakhstansince 1991

Nomadic Civilization

Emergence of distinct Kazakh identity, formation of language and culture

Free people of the great steppe

Socialist Regime

Industrialization and construction.Soviet ideology, suppression of culture

Soviet people

Independent nation

Rebuilding national identityBuilding a modern state

Citizens of new Kazakhstan

Independent Kazakhstan. On December 16, 1991 Kazakhstan broke from Moscow and declared its independence. The process of shedding the Soviet Union and starting anew as the democratic Republic of Kazakhstan is made difficult by the fact that a large percentage of Kazakhstan is not Kazakh. Many of the non-Kazakh ethnic groups have met attempts by the Kazakh government to make Kazakh the central, dominant culture of the country with great disdain and quiet, nonviolent resistance. In ad-dition, the traditional Kazakh culture has been diversified during the Soviet years by multiethnic fusion and suppression of cultural identity. The picture is further complicated by the extreme economic situation of the country in 1990’s and most of the population struggling (out of work and below poverty line). Kazakh nationalism has been unpopular with many non-Kazakhs and thousands have left as a result, but the government kept its course. Streets and schools have been renamed, statues of Lenin taken down (they existed in practically every city), the national anthem and flag changed, old Soviet holidays forgotten, and new Kazakh holidays promoted. However, these seventy years seem to have had a profound and long-lasting effect on these formerly nomadic people. The struggle for reviving the national and cultural identity is still one of the major missions of today’s Kazakhstan. Some truly posi-tive changes were accomplished, but the process of nationalization and cultural revival was skewed by the aspiration to be modern and keep up with the rest of the world (particularly, the Western civilization). This pursuit of modern is well illustrated in architectural outlook of the country. Architecture always represents the development of the state, of technology and of culture. As a former nomadic civilization, Kazakhstan hadn’t had architecture with the exceptions of couple major Mosques in the southern part of the country. Principal architectural development happened during the Soviet era. Hard work and unity were the major themes of the socialism and the architecture from that period is a large reflection of that. Most of the buildings constructed during this period were big and utilitarian. Hospitals, schools, post offices, banks, and govern-ment buildings went up from Moscow to Almaty (capital at the time) in basically the same shape, size, and color. The materials used were usually just as rough, with concrete and brick being the most common. Large Soviet apartment blocks went up in all of the cities across Kazakhstan. Arranged in small districts they were absolutely identical, as the majority of Soviet architecture. As a result, cities are practically indistinguishable. Times have certainly changed, as has the architecture in these post-Soviet days of independence. A lot of old buildings still exist – obsolete apartment blocks still accommodate majority of the population and most governmental elements still occupy buildings of their Soviet comrades. This picture is complicated and contrasted by the introduction of new buildings and new wealth of Ka-zakhstan. Oil money, foreign investments, and a new management approach have created a whole new style in Kazakhstan. Big cities Almaty (former capital) and Astana (new capital) have five-star high-rise hotels, casinos, Turkish fast food restaurants, and American steak houses.

RESEARCH RESEARCH10 11

What is Expo? Expo is a global event that aims at educating the public, sharing innovation, promoting progress and fostering cooperation. Expos offer a multifaceted event where extraordinary exhibitions, diplomatic encounters, business meetings, public debates and live shows take place at the same time. It is one of three largest events among Olympics and World Cup. (www.bie-paris.org) Architecture plays an important role at the World Fairs. The host cities strive to erect some outstanding, unique buildings that would become a symbolic expression of modernity, technological progress, and outspokenness and get recognizable all over the world. Each participating country builds a pavilion on the exhibition land provided by the host, where they demonstrate innovations, cul-ture, architecture, etc. for all the visitors. Most of the structures are temporary that are dismantled after the fair closes. However, often these pavilions introduce a broader idea that could be applied elsewhere. Sometimes these pavilions are even transported or rebuilt in other places. Some of them, initially intended to be temporary, stay permanently to symbolize progressive and revolutionary achievements of the humankind. Expo sites are usually further developed and become recreational parks, new city districts, educational and learning facilities, or adapted for other uses.

“One example where experimental building can have a significant impact is the Expo, a regular international showcase of com-merce and industry that is held in a different country each time.”

- Robert Kronenburg

Barcelona Pavilion, Expo 1929, BarcelonaEiffel Tower, Expo 1889, ParisCrystal Palace, Expo 1851, London - 1st Expo

Previous Expo world fairs

EXPO 2017 Astana. Host city is the capital of Kazakhstan - Astana. The time frame of the Expo 2017 is from June 10th to September 10th. Dedicating this International Exposition to the theme of Future Energy is extremely relevant in the context of Kazakhstan’s development as an oil-based economy. Addressing the issues of energy efficiency and alternatives on Expo will be a major step to-wards sustainable energy in the country and the region. While Expo presents an opportunity to advance development and introduce the country to a wider public, hosting an event of this scale poses many problems for such young state. One of the major issues is the lack of accommodation.This problem is further complicated by the fact that Astana already has more than enough hotels for its everyday business and cycle. Residential and com-mercial segments have several large-scale projects underway and the market is currently slightly overbuilt.

1 person per room

Numberof EXPOvisitors

stay length1 3 5 7

2,000,000 21,739 65,217 108,696 152,1745,000,000 54,348 163,043 271,739 380,4358,000,000 86,957 260,870 434,783 608,696

2 persons per room

Numberof EXPOguests

stay length1 3 5 v

2,000,000 10,870 32,609 54,348 76,0875,000,000 27,174 81,522 135,870 190,2178,000,000 43,478 130,435 217,391 304,348

Calculated byColliers Internationalfor Forbes.kz

Astana is expecting around 2-4 million guests over the Expo summer. The most minimalistic calculations show that there should be at least 10,870 hotel rooms (2 million guests staying for 1 day in double rooms over 92 days). Counting existing and all the approved hotel projects Astana will have 1944 hotel rooms by 2017. A portion of guests will be locals who do not need hotel accommodation. Partially, problem could be solved by using, for example, student residences of the Nazarbayev University or leasing apartments by owners through popular Airbnb system. However, above wouldn’t provide enough lodging for everyone.

Astana Expo City 2017. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

RESEARCH RESEARCH12 13

Astana - the symbol of new Kazakhstan. Its skyline grows more fantastical by the years as landmark buildings, many of them by leading international architects, sprout in a variety of Asian, Western, Soviet, and wacky futuristic styles (Moore, 2010) Much of its modern architecture is striking in its scale and design, especially in contrast to the vast, open steppes that surround it. Some have dubbed Astana the “Dubai of the steppe”.

Astana - capital of Kazakhstan since 1997 19 years ago, when Kazakhstan moved its capital here, the city of Astana didn’t really exist. Back then it was a small town in the middle of vast steppe called Akmola, known as a former ALZHIR prison camp for the wives of Soviet traitors. The town consisted mostly of Soviet-style block buildings, grim remnants of the country’s past. The transfer of the capital was conditioned by several factors – previous capital in the southeast of the country, Almaty, was prone to earthquakes, too congested and too close to the Chinese border. Kazakhstan’s need to strengthen its hold on the north part of the country with its large number of ethnic Russians made it logical from a strategic point of view. Most importantly, the new capital was supposed to symbolize the development of a new nation and a new cultural identity. After years of rapid economic growth fueled by oil and gas riches, the skyline of Astana is now punctuated by gleaming skyscrap-ers and Western-style shopping malls. The city has become a hotbed for architectural experimentation, attracting big names like Norman Foster, Manfredi Nicoletti, and Kisho Kurokawa (city master plan). Emblematic of Astana’s rise, the tallest skyscraper in Central Asia is currently under construction here (Abu-Dhabi Plaza, HKR Architects).

Bayterek, symbol of new beginning Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, Norman Foster Abu Dhabi Plaza, HKR Architects (2016) City was built in 15 years

ASTANA TODAYASTANA 2002

ASTANA 2000

RESEARCH RESEARCH14 15

Abandoned Architecture. There are many examples when new buildings were built in already oversaturated market in order to accommodate a single event. One of the most recent cases is Sochi, Russia that hosted Winter Olympics in 2014. The entire district constructed for Olympic Village became a ghost town. There simply weren’t enough people to inhabit the new structures after the event.

A view of the eerily silent lobby of the Tulip Inn hotel, which was packed with guests during the games but barely has a single customer now

The Tulip Inn Hotel (left), Adler Arena (centre) and Fisht Stadium (right), amid one of the many empty car parks of the Sochi Olympic complex

It’s dead silent in this abandoned Sochi ghost town, which may look like a populous city from afar.

An empty bus stop and an empty “Bridge Resort” hotel at the background

No signs of life Some of the buildings were never completed

Nomad.

Late 16th century: from French nomade, via Latin from Greek nomas, nomad – “roaming in search of pasture”, from the base of nemein – “to pasture”.

1550s, from Middle French nomade, from Greek nomas (plural nomades) – “roaming, roving, wandering” (to find pastures for flocks or herds).

Definition in EnglishA member of a people having no permanent abode, and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock. A person who doesn’t stay long in the same place; a wanderer. (www.dictionary.com)

Nomads travel following a seasonal pattern within a certain territory. They usually set up camps near sufficient sources of fresh water (lakes and rivers) and grazing land.

RESEARCH RESEARCH16 17

The sense of community was essential for nomads’ survival in these harsh conditions. Members of a group heavily relied on each other and shared their resources. For example, Kazakhs always shared their food with everyone in the camp. It strengthened the social bonds and eliminated any food waste since they couldn’t preserve it. Hospitality was another trait that set apart the Kazakh nomads. A stranger could walk in to any house and the host couldn’t refuse him to stay. He would provide food, a bed to sleep overnight and take care of the guest’s horse. Nomads produced most of what they needed in everyday life. They were very efficient as they used every part of an animal without wasting anything. For nomads horses were the center of life. In an unforgiving climate and a seemingly endless land, horses provided transport and labor. They also provided leather, tools, milk and meat. In time they became staples of commerce and instruments of war.

Nomadic Culture. Livestock was the ultimate source of life. The way Kazakh nomads lived is called nomadic pastoralism. It means that they moved to find fresh pastures for their animals to graze on. Most of the land is a vast open steppe and the climate is really harsh. This makes farming extremely difficult to sustain without bringing water from far distances. Nomadic pastoralism is an adaptation to the extreme conditions of the steppe.Kazakhs usually had two larger migrations a year – to summer and winter pasturelands. A group consisting of several families moved within a certain territory that belonged to them. This continual mobility allowed them not to overwhelm the land and keep it intact. This made nomadic com-munities highly sustainable.

Nomadic village moving to a new pastureland Nomads on move

Winter transhumance

People eating together in a yurt A family greeting guests outside their yurt

RESEARCH RESEARCH18 19

An architectural alternative to traditional form of lodging is much needed as the mobility of people grows and world becomes more connected. This thesis project aims to explore different aspects of nomadic lifestyle and the potential of temporary archi-tecture. Looking at the design problem through the prism of nomadic culture makes us reevaluate the core principles of traditional build-ings and the function of conventional hotels. Can we reach similar level of efficiency in modern structures that nomadic yurts possessed? Could this minimalistic approach to accommodation work in the modern consumer society? How do we create a building of ephemeral and reusable nature that also express a strong cultural and technological statement?

We live in a highly connected and highly mobile world. Is it going to be an opportunity to find unconventional and unexplored design solutions in the field of architecture, or is it another aspect of the creeping globalization that will eventually make everywhere un-cannily similar to everywhere else?This project is driven by two central questions:

- What will happen to new hotels after Expo ends?

- Can a hotel be something different than a traditional building?

Astana does need more hotel rooms to accommodate all the Expo 2017 guests, but what will happen to these new structures after Expo leaves? Do we have to build another Hilton or Marriott hotel, which might become an enormous waste of resources later? Or could this Expo become a platform for architectural exploration that will offer an unique experience of authentic nomadic cul-ture and at the same time provide a practical alternative to conventional hotel?

3.4 ARCHITECTURAL ISSUES3.3 QUESTIONS/THEORETICAL ISSUES RAISED

RESEARCH RESEARCH20 21

“A nomad camp isn’t like an aircraft carrier. It adds up to a huge thing, but it consists of many independent pieces that are small enough to be picked up by people and put on horses. This doesn’t mean that its pattern can’t persist over time, since the pieces can then be put down again, in the same spatial relationships, in a new place. It’s a much more convincing example of a walking city than that proposed by 60’s pop theoreticians and designers Archigram.”

- Jennifer SiegalThe total weight of a furnished yurt is about 700-900 pounds - load capacity of one camel

Yurt is the traditional dwelling place of pastoral no-mads of Central Asia. Yurts are portable, sturdy, round felt-covered tents. A nomadic family can setup one yurt within a matter of 4-5 hours. The walls of yurt are made of wooden latticework and the roof of curved poles that run from latticework to a central circular wooden piece up above. This circular opening provides an outlet for smoke as well as the entrance of sunlight. The yurt is central to nomads in Kazakhstan; it provides a place to eat, sleep, host guests, and provides protection from elements.

3.5 ARCHITECTURAL PRECEDENTS

placing thin inner cover on the roof adding felt cover adding the outer coverstarting with walls and doors placing roof poles roof poles in place

inside a yurt

RESEARCH RESEARCH22 23

Burning Man. The Burning Man started as burning an 8-foot tall figure on the beach of San-Francisco, which attracted some people to gather around it. Today it became a huge event that attracts tens of thousands of people who gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Des-ert to create a Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to celebrates community, art, self-expression and self-reliance. The wooden figure, the Burning Man, grew much larger and still is the main symbol of the event. It lasts for a week at the end of August. (burningman.org)

Shape of the Black Rock CityThe original form of the camp was a circle. It wasn’t particularly planned, but formed instinctively from the traditional campfire circle and the urge to “circle the wagons” against the nearby boundless space. The circular layout is organized in a way to provide easier nav-igation for the “burners”. The front part of the circle is No Man’s Land zone that was established to preserve the view of Burning Man. (burningman.org)

“A circular temporary city plan built around the spectacle of art, music and dance: I wish all cities had such a spirit of utopia by being built around human interaction, community, and participation.” (burningman.org)

One of the major missions of the Black Rock City is to leave no trace behind after the event and restore the site to its condition prior to the Burning Man. The “Moop Map” is the Burning Man’s Leave No Trace record each year. All participants pick up after themselves and at the end a specially organized group cleans all that remained and creates this map.

Layout of a camp at the Black Rock City

Moop Map 2014Burning Man

RESEARCH RESEARCH24 25

The Grange Fair is an annual fair and camping event since 1874. The fair is usually held at the last full week of August and lasts for 8 days. Thousands live in tents or RVs. The event has grown to include 1,000 tents and 1,500 RVs. Tenters build kitchens and front porches. These tents have many amenities and comfort of a “real” house – mini-fridges, computers, mini-kitchens, furniture, etc. Some campers add personalization to their space. The fair includes rides, food, bingo, animal shows, livestock contests, and concerts.

26 27SITESITE

4.0 SITE AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS

4.1 ANNOTATED AERIAL PHOTOS OR MAPS OF SITE

Expo 2017 SiteNazarbayev University

NomadicCitySite

Ishim River

Major Sport Facilities

Expo 2017 Site

NomadicCity Site

Nazarbayev University Campus

Nazarbayev Intellectual School

Residential (mostly two storey)

Hospital

Google map, AstanaKazakhstan

Astana

Astana

28 29SITESITE

4.2 SITE DOCUMENTATION

“These projects would have taxed the mind of many a high-end contractor, and in Kazakhstan, they have to address the same problems in a much harder climate.”

Neil Billett, engineering consultant of Norman Foster firm

Astana has a humid continental climate, bordering on a semi-arid climate. Summers are hot and winters are very long and cold. Summer temperatures occasionally rich 95 F, while in winter –30 F is not unusual.

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Average Rainfall (inches graph for Astana)

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Avg High Tem Avg Low Tem Avg Rainfall Days Precipitationworldweatheronline.com

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Astana has a well-deserved reputation among Kazakhs for its frequent high winds, the effects of which are felt particularly strongly on the fast-developing but relatively exposed Left Bank area of the city.

“Much of its modern architecture is striking in its scale and design, especially in contrast to the vast, open steppes that surround it.”

Daisy Carrington, CNN

Astana is in a spacious steppe landscape. This very flat terrain exposes the city to winds.

ASTANA - A CITY IN THE STEPPE

January

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0 25% 50% 75% 100%

Percent of windy days per month

NNEESE

SSWWNW

7 %11 %10 %10 %20 %21 %14 %

6 %

Wind direction

windalert.com

City in the middle of the vast steppe

windalert.com

30 31

4.3 SITE STUDIES

Astana is located along Ishim River, which splits the city into two. The old city (the Right Bank), on the northern side of the river, is mostly represented by the Soviet era architecture. 7/8 of the population lives in these densely populated mostly residential part of the city.The new city, known as the Left Bank, is on the northern side of the river. The Left Bank experienced most of the construction boom since Astana was declared the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997. This is the part of the city that represents Astana’s develop-ment with its futuristic skyline shooting up from the void of flat, empty expanse grassland. The dramatic difference in architectural context of the Left and Right banks is depicted in the images below. The Right bank has narrower streets, Soviet style identical apartment blocks and greyish looking building assembly. The Left Bank is the opposite of identical – every building is almost screaming, “Look at me!”

SITESITE

Right bank, old cityLeft bank, new city

Major Sport Facilities

Nazarbayev University Campus

Nazarbayev Intellectual School

EXPO

SITE

Residential(mostly 1 storey)

Astana InternationalAirport

11 min car ride

The project’s site is located right next to the Expo. It is an empty flat block on the outskirt of the Left bank. The area has several ob-jects of national importance and potentially will become one of the most beautiful, prestigious, and exciting districts in a near future. Astana is expanding very fast and Expo site is one of the crucial elements that will add to the impressive architectural assembly of the city.

Nazarbayev University – another point of pride of Kazakhs. Argu-ably the best school in the nation with foreign academics in most of its departments. It is situated right across the street from the Expo site, which is not a mere coincidence. The city is planning to adapt some of the Expo buildings for the educational and learning purposes and give them to the university.

Astana International Airport – is another advantage for the ho-tel guest. It takes only 11 minutes to drive to the airport since the site is located right next to the highway.

32 33PROGRAM PROGRAM

5.0 PROGRAM

NomadicCity [Hotel as a temporary network]

Hotel, nounA building where you pay to have a room to sleep in, and where you can sometimes get extra services.

NomadicCity is a hotel network consisting of two main elements – Living Units and Communal Facilities. Living Unit is a circular structure based on the yurt shape. The circle is divided into 4 segments – 3 of them are separate rooms (every room is roughly 140 sqf); 1 left open as the entry point and open terrace for guests, where they can gather around a fire pit and socialize. The Living Units are primarily for rest and sleep and are equipped with solar power systems for lighting and battery charging. Every unit is also provided with fresh spring water delivered every day for drinking. Doors to every room are securely locked.Communal facility offers the main services such as: showers, bathrooms, laundry, etc. Water is delivered every day by water trucks and the sewage holding tanks are also managed by service vehicles.For faster and easier navigation around the hotel area there are bike rental stations.

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1 - Living Unit2 - Communal Facility3 - Bike Racks4 - Temporary paving for pedestrians and bikers5 - Temporary paving for service vehicles

NomadicCity, Site Plan

34 35CONCEPTCONCEPT

6.1 STUDIES\DEVICES REVEALING ARCHITECTURAL IDEAS

6.0 CONCEPTUAL\PRELIMINARY DESIGN STUDIES

Nomad 1 [Foldable Hotel] Nomad 2 [Lightweight] Nomad 3 [Walking City] Nomad 4 [Emerging City] NomadicCity [Hotel as a temporary network]

Many different aspects of nomadic lifestyle inspired this design exploration for an alternative to traditional hotels. The main set of guides was set primarily by the yurt – nomadic dwelling that was refined through centuries; and the meaning of the yurt for the nomadic community.

Portability of the yurt. A hotel that could be flatpacked and shipped to any desti-nation and effortlessly folded back up.

Yurts were lightweight and could be transported by a single camel. Paper tubes were to become the main structural element that will reduce the weight and provide easily accessible and recyclable material

Mobility of the nomads. Nomadic communities were a much more convincing example of walking city than the one proposed by the popular group Archigram

Nomads chose specific sites for their camps, which they almost never changed. Every year around the same time a “city” will emerge on that site. The proposal is to build permanent campgrounds with infrastructural cores that will emerge from the ground whenever they are needed. Then, temporary structures will be built around these cores.

Nomadic camps can be seen as “temporary cities” with an entire network created to allow the community to function. The entire city trav-eled from place to place, but the network always functioned

“While the evolution of high-tech gadgets – cellphones, laptops, PDAs, the internet – has done much to boost our means of com-munication, our conventional ways of building and dwelling have yet to be brought into generation mobile.”

- Jennifer Siegal

36 37CONCEPT CONCEPT

NomadicCity [Hotel as a temporary network] NomadicCity [Hotel as a temporary network]

Living Unit, Plan Living Unit, Section Living Unit, Elevation Living Unit, Elevation

38 CONCLUSIONS

7.0 CONCLUSIONS

Kazakhstan positions its capital, Astana, as the heart of Eurasia, a place where East meets West, and a mixture of styles is quite appropriate. At the same time, Kazakhstan is a nomadic civilization that developed over thousands of years in the vast expanse of Eurasia and its heritage should not be abandoned. Traditional nomadism might be a thing of the past, but it is being replaced by a new urban nomadism in the context of our con-nected globalized society. Expo 2017 is the educational platform where Kazakhstan can share not only its cuisine and music, but make a contribution to architectural development using its rich nomadic past. Temporary architecture has a potential to be a solution for immediate building needs in various contexts. These might range greatly from events like Olympics and World Expos to the urgent needs of political and environmental refugees. Adaptability and flexibility of nomadic communities are the essence of this research and understanding it will allow further developing the idea of temporary architecture. An important note is that this thesis work is not an attempt to offer a final product, but rather exploration of exciting unconven-tional design solutions. Throughout almost a year of design investigation, my project went in many different directions and Noma-dicCity is only a point where I am stopping to report my findings so far. The topic of temporary architecture is not new, but is certainly severely underdeveloped and almost neglected. I believe that we can learn a lot from nomadic culture of our ancestors and especially the way we build and plan our cities.

40 BIBLIOGRAPHY

8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Philip Drew. New Tent Architecture. Thames & Hudson. 2008. Print.

Andrew Heben. Tent City Urbanism: from self-organized camps to tiny house villages. Eugene, Oregon. 2014. Print.

Robert Kronenburg. Architecture in motion: the history and development of portable building. Routledge, New York. 2014. Print.

Jennifer Siegal. More Mobile. Portable Architecture for Today. Princeton Architectural Press, New York. 2008. Print.

Sven Ehmann, Robert Klanten, Michelle Galindo, and Sofia Borges. The New Nomads. Temporary Spaces and a Life on the Move. Gestalten, Berlin. 2015. Print.

Robert Kronenburg. Flexible. Architecture that responds to change. Laurence King Publishing Ltd, London. 2007. Print.

Georgi Kantchev. In Kazakhstan, a shimmering skyline on the steppe. New York Times. August 21, 2014. Web. October 2, 2015.http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/22/arts/international/In-Astana-Kazakhstan-a-Shimmering-Skyline-on-the-Steppe.html

Rowan Moore. Astana, Kazakhstan: the space station in the steppes. The Guardian. August 2010. Web. October 1, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/08/astana-kazakhstan-space-station-steppes

Assel Musabekova. How many hotels does Kazakhstan need for Expo 2017? Forbes.kz. Web. July 29, 2015. http://forbes.kz/process/property/skolko_oteley_nujno_kazahstanu_dlya_expo-2017

Daisy Carrington. Astana: the World’s weirdest capital. CNN. July 13, 2012. Web. September 30, 2015

Bureau International des Expositions. Official website. http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/past-expos/expo-timeline/2010-shanghai

Expo 2017 Astana Official Website. www.expo2017astana.com

Burning Man official website. http://burningman.org/

Official Website of Astana. www.astana.gov

Central Asia Resources. http://www.centralasia.com.au/kazakhstan.asp