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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The Alatau Iconic Complex and Gateway District is a planned pair of stepped, wedge-shaped towers in Alatau, Kazakhstan. SOM’s design draws on the nearby Trans-Ili Alatau mountains and combines offices, homes, a hotel and public-facing podium space. Preparatory work was reported in March 2026, but the available reporting does not confirm whether full-scale excavation began or what the site’s status is today.
Where are the towers being built?
The project is planned for Alatau, a new city in Kazakhstan, along the Almaty-Qonaev highway. SOM describes the complex as a proposed economic and administrative center for the city. The wider Alatau plan is described by SOM as covering 88,000 hectares across four districts; that figure refers to the planned city, not the tower site. SOM’s March 5, 2026 project release also places the development within a broader transport and public-space plan.
That plan includes express rail and Light Rail Transit corridors, green boulevards, shaded streets, plazas, pedestrian routes and micromobility infrastructure. These are planned elements, not confirmation that rail service or district infrastructure is operating.
What will the Alatau towers look like?
SOM’s design comprises two asymmetrical towers with sharply sloped, stepped profiles. The forms are intended to echo the valleys, glaciers and layered terrain of the Trans-Ili Alatau range, which SOM describes as extending 350 kilometers. New Atlas characterized the towers as wedge-like; their terraces and balconies are part of the massing rather than a conventional rectangular high-rise silhouette.
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The design also proposes high-performance façades and integrated shading to limit solar gain. Central atria are intended to carry natural light farther into the floorplates and frame views toward the mountains. These are design goals; the published materials do not provide measured energy or daylight performance.
How tall are the towers, and what will they contain?
SOM describes the development as a 276,800-square-meter vertical district. Its two towers have distinct planned roles:
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| Building | Planned height | Planned use |
|---|---|---|
| Primary tower | 272 meters | Offices and premium residences |
| Adjacent tower | 80 meters | Luxury hotel and branded residences |
At their base, a three-level podium planned to cover 58,000 square meters is intended for retail, cultural venues and events. Together, the towers and podium are designed to bring workplace, residential, hospitality and public-facing uses into one district. SOM says the primary tower would be the tallest structure in the Almaty region and southern Kazakhstan upon completion; that is a future, conditional claim, not a description of an existing building.
What is known about seismic design?
SOM says the design incorporates seismically resilient framing and damping systems, reflecting the area’s high seismicity. However, a March 20, 2026 New Atlas report said engineers had not yet settled on the seismic approach, describing a choice between a Japanese damping model and a US high-strength-steel skeleton. The available sources do not identify a final selected system, so the specific engineering solution should be treated as unresolved.
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- This building needs to be assembled by oneself. Before assembly, cut the black window sticker to the appropriate size and stick it on the back of the building before proceeding with assembly.
- Material type: ABS
- Suitable age: 14 years old and above
- There are three sizes of buildings, choose the appropriate one according to your own needs
When is construction expected to finish?
New Atlas reported on March 20, 2026 that preparatory construction work was underway, full-scale excavation was expected to begin in May 2026, and completion of both towers was projected for the end of 2029. That report gave a forecast, not confirmation that excavation subsequently started. The available sources do not verify the site’s condition as of October 8, 2026, or establish that the schedule remains on track.
SOM’s March 5 release presents the project design and program but does not give a construction status or completion date. It describes the district as intended to support long-term growth in the Almaty region through a resilient, site-specific and transit-oriented approach; that is the developer’s stated ambition, not an independently measured outcome.
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