Almaty Eastern Gate Polycenter Competition, Kazakhstan architecture contest images, building architect news

Almaty Eastern Gate Polycenter

18 December 2025

Design: ENOTA Architects

Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan

ENOTA Wins International Competition for the Eastern Gate Polycenter, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Visualizations: Studio Spacer

Almaty Eastern Gate Polycenter, Kazakhstan

The Slovenian architectural practice ENOTA has been announced as the winner of the International Architectural Competition for the conceptual design of the Eastern Gate Polycenter District of Almaty. The competition was organised by the Municipality of Almaty in collaboration with the international architectural platform SHARE Architects.

The awards ceremony, held in Almaty, marked a significant milestone in the city’s strategic transition toward a polycentric urban development model, as defined in the Almaty 2040 Masterplan. The competition attracted 15 international architectural firms from Europe, North America, and Asia.

ENOTA’s winning proposal was recognised by the international jury for its imaginative and coherent urban masterplan, replacing a rigid urban grid with a network of pedestrian arteries and promenades, each with a distinct spatial identity. The design establishes climate-responsive, landscape-integrated neighbourhoods that emphasise walkability, adaptability, and long-term sustainability, offering a forward-looking vision for Almaty’s eastern gateway.

According to the jury, the project stands out for its strong urban logic, high level of connectivity, and an exceptionally robust sustainability framework, aligning closely with Almaty’s ambition to integrate its mountainous landscape with advanced green technologies and contemporary urban living.

Eastern Gate Polycenter Competition Results

Winner: ENOTA (Slovenia)
Mention: LDA Design (United Kingdom)
Mention: Studio Farris (Belgium)

In addition to winning the Eastern Gate Polycenter, ENOTA also received a Mention for its proposal for the Western Gate Polycenter, the second site addressed within the same international competition. This dual recognition underscores the studio’s capacity to develop distinct yet conceptually coherent urban strategies across multiple strategic gateways to the city.

Western Gate Polycenter – Competition Results

Winner: LDA Design (United Kingdom)
Mention: Next Office (Iran)
Mention: ENOTA (Slovenia)

Almaty Eastern Gate Polycenter, Kazakhstan – Building Information

Project: Almaty Eastern Gate Polycenter District
Type: invited competition, first prize
Year: 2025
Status: in progress

Site: 1.800.000 m2

Client: Municipality of Almaty
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 43°18’57.2″N 76°59’53.3″E
Architecture: ENOTA
Project team: Dean Lah, Milan Tomac, Jurij Ličen, Nuša Završnik Šilec, Polona Ruparčič, Sara Mežik, Rasmus Skov, Furkan Sahin, Lea Ružič, Mima Suhadolc, Eva Tomac, Aljaž Gradišar, Maša Kovač Šmajdek, Ana Kosmina, Jure Kolenc

Collaborators: Studio Spacer (visualizations)

ENOTA

Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture building design in Kazakhstan images / information received 181225 from ENOTA Architects

Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan, Central Asia.