THE NATIONAL PANTHEON OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

‘the kazakhstan national pantheon will be built within a large natural environment surrounded by undeveloped land 17 km south of astana. the design originates directly from an analyzation of its context. a series of walkways, paths, and strips connect the building to the landscape where it is located, metaphorically representing a patriotic attachment to the country. the pantheon, measuring 55 meters high and 70 meters wide, is the core of the project.

the monument is strongly influenced by the pantheon of rome, the ancient temple of all the roman emperors. it was here, where ascensions were performed, ceremonies in which rulers, after death, were to be taken by the eagles and driven up into the sky to become gods. for this reason, the form required an oculus to be cut out at the top of the sphere. in correspondence, the structure shares similar characteristics. the combination of shapes configures a grand space where the center provides a strong focal point that is intended to serve as the burial plot of kazakhstan’s most prominent heroes.

with respect to the various religions practiced throughout the country, the construct hopes to become a meeting point for all beliefs. the final result is a dynamic complex that appears as a ‘galaxy’ when viewed from above with a surging energy of people flowing towards it. the circulation defines the programmatic dispersal of denominations. for example, catholics will come from west, which references rome, the spiritual center of the catholicism, christian orthodoxes will come from the northwest direction of moscow, jewish congregations will arrive from the southwest where jerusalem resides, muslims will travel from mecca, and buddhists will arrive from tibet in the southeast.

each group will have its own hall for ceremonies and a double indoor-outdoor walkway. the indoor walkway invites visitors to freely pass through the upper level that lead to the pantheon or visit the basement level where the heroes are buried in the deep of a massive stone wall. the north wing is the main entrance from which all the other wings radially extend to eventually join in the pantheon. inside the main sanctuary, a marble and gold disk is suspended on top of the crypta.

the wide and symmetrical dome is made of a large collection of haloes that intersect each other. several haloes are helicoidal ramps that allow a wide number of people to assist ceremonies by watching from above, where they have a panoramic view of both the interior space and outside landscape. from here, it is possible to observe the whole monument with light passing through the loops to enter the dome from all sides. the complex is completed by an administrative wing on the south side with offices and a restaurant court. pedestrian corridors lead to the outdoor parking area and the kabanbai batyr mausoleum.

stone, marble and gold-bronze will decorate the walls and flooring while insulating glass would be in several exterior partitions. within the surrounding landscape, thematic gardens relate to the different religious blocks. these characteristics assist the concept that the national building will be seen from any plane flying in the sky as it is situated along one of the main routes of traffic for airlines coming from south.