The emergence of new cities across Central Asia has increasingly been tied to large-scale architectural gestures that define identity and investment potential. In Kazakhstan, the planned city of Alatau represents one of the urban developments currently underway. The global architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has designed a landmark mixed-use tower complex that will serve as the architectural and economic centerpiece of Alatau’s central business district. Placed along the Almaty–Qonaev highway, the city is envisioned as a future economic hub connected to regional trade corridors and the broader “New Silk Road” network.
The project, known as the Iconic Complex, forms part of the Gateway District masterplan, a dense urban quarter planned as a walkable, transit-oriented center. This district is developed with green boulevards, public plazas, and multimodal transport connections, including express rail and light rail corridors. Together, these elements aim to create a human-scaled urban environment while accommodating the density required for a new metropolitan center.
The proposal stands as a mixed-use development spanning approximately 276,800 square meters, organized around two distinctive towers that frame the entrance to the district. The composition functions as a vertical district where offices, residences, hospitality, retail, and cultural spaces are stacked and interconnected within a compact urban footprint.
Mountain-Inspired Mixed-Use Tower Complex
The architectural concept draws inspiration from the surrounding Trans-Ili Alatau mountain range, translating the region’s stratified geological formations into the massing and geometry of the towers. The design articulates faceted surfaces and stepped forms that echo the layered terrain of the mountains. This approach anchors the project in its geographic context while giving the skyline of the new city a distinct identity.
The primary tower rises to approximately 272 meters, making it the tallest structure in the Almaty region once completed. Designed with about 56 floors, the tower accommodates Class-A office space alongside premium residential apartments, bringing workspaces and urban living into a single vertical community.
Adjacent to it, an 80-meter secondary tower contains a luxury hotel and branded residences, strengthening the development’s mixed-use program and reinforcing its role as a destination within the new business district. The two towers are connected by a three-level podium that houses retail, entertainment venues, and cultural facilities totaling around 58,000 square meters, forming an active public base at ground level.
The towers incorporate large central atria designed to draw daylight deep into the building’s floor plates. These vertical voids also frame wide views of the landscape around them, especially the nearby mountain ranges that inspired the design. High-performance façade systems and integrated shading strategies are intended to reduce solar heat gain and improve environmental performance within the region’s continental climate.
SOM Shapes the Gateway to Kazakhstan’s Emerging City of Alatau
Beyond its architectural form, the Iconic Complex plays a strategic urban role. The towers are positioned as a visual gateway marking the entrance to Alatau’s financial and business district. As part of a city planned to develop through 2050, the project is expected to function as the administrative and economic nucleus of the new urban center.
Alatau itself forms part of a large Special Economic Zone covering nearly 97,900 hectares, designed to attract international investment and support sectors such as technology, logistics, tourism, and education. Within this broader framework, the mixed-use tower complex establishes a recognizable skyline element while concentrating multiple urban functions in a single development.
The project demonstrates the growing use of contemporary high-rise architecture as a commercial asset, city branding, and urban identity. Through its mountain-inspired geometry and dense vertical program, SOM’s Alatau Iconic Complex aims to anchor the future skyline of the city while reflecting the landscape and initiatives of modern Kazakhstan.
Image credit: SOM
