The Al-Farabi Park is located in the southern part of Almaty, on the border between the city and the mountains. It is bordered by the six-lane wide Al-Farabi road, which is dividing the park from a large residential area. A driving range is located north of the park. The area of ca. eight hectares was earlier used as an apple orchard and parts of the area is still covered with wild apple threes. Almaty is situated in an area were earthquakes regularly takes place. A tectonic trench is running through the area and the constructive demands on buildings here are high. The spatial concept of the Al-Farabi Park is based on the Schanyraks in the historical Yurt. The circle of family and friends gathered around the fire in the middle of the yurt, under the smoke hole, to eat, to play and to celebrate. The central importance of the smoke hole in the Kazakh society is shown by the symbolic Shanyrak in the middle of the states cote of arm.

The Al-Farabi Park is composed by seven areas with different function and shape, the so called Shanyraks. Buildings for restaurants, entertainment and swimming are completed by a tennis court and three play grounds. A building for staff and technical equipment is placed on the northern edge of the park. The play area with a play castle, a play volcano and a Magic Mountain, is connected by a miniature railway. The railway is running through all parts with stations at the different play grounds. A main promenade runs through the park in north-south direction. The restaurant, the entertainment building, the swimming pool house and a large central pond are situated around the promenade. At the northern and southern ends of the promenade, two parking lots are located. These parking lots functions as entrances to the park, and forms one more element in it. They are radial constructed and crossed by a representative central footpath. Water basins and fountains are preparing the visitors for the attractions to come. Lamps organized in ribbons leads the visitors from the southern parking lot to the main promenade, from the northern to the central Entertainment Plaza.

The idea of the Shanyrak is the base for all the buildings in the Al-Farabi Park. Differently shaped building elements are arranged around a central space, and reflect the yurt in a newly interpreted way. The three buildings for restaurants, entertainment and swimming are connected by a sky walk. The restaurant Shanyrak hosts three main restaurants, two bistros and offices for the management. All restaurants are reached from the open central space. The sky walk starts in this open space.

The entertainment Shanyrak contains a discotheque in two floors, four karaoke-rooms, a billiard studio and bowling in the cellar. Large terraces are directly connected to the rooms. The sky walk passes the building on the second floor.

The swimming Shanyrak is located in the south of the sky walk. A large indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a café are located to the building. The indoor swimming pool can in the summer months be opened up towards the central pond. In this way, the building can host 300 guests in the summer and 150 in the winter.

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