he Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center represents a major civic, cultural and social venue for the people of the capital city Astana, Kazakhstan - in an austere eastern landscape with an inhospitable climate. The tent-like, cable-net structure is located at the northern end of the new city axis and soars 150 meters from an elliptical base to form the highest peak on the Astana skyline. The building encloses an area in excess of 100,000 square meters, with dramatic views over the city and the Steppes beyond. The roof is made of a transparent polymer material called ETFE that allows daylight to enter the interiors while sheltering them from weather extremes; Astana’s temperatures range from +40° C in summer to -40° C in winter. The EFTE is reported to be a good insulator and helps harness solar gain - in the winter the large volume warms up, like the building is wearing a huge fur hat. In winter, a key challenge is to prevent the formation of ice on the inside of the envelope; this is achieved by a combination of temperature control and directing warm air currents up the inner surface of the fabric, a strategy that also prevents downdraughts. In summer, fritting on the outermost foil layer provides solar shading. Inside, low-level jets direct cool air across the space, while vents at the apex induce stack-effect ventilation. Air can be directed out of the top of the tent if it gets really hot inside, and there are generous tolerances for internal temperature. For example the landscaped areas are maintained at 15C in the winter and allowed to rise to 30C in the summer. The ultimate aim of the building is to provide Astana with a range of civic, cultural and social amenities all year round, whatever the weather. Contained within is an urban-scaled park, along with a wide variety of entertainment and leisure facilities, including retail, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, and flexible spaces that can accommodate a varied program of events and exhibitions, and even a water park.