While warm weather is expanding across the United States, residents of Kazakhstan are embracing the cold winter weather they are receiving. The residents of Slalom House, a 21-story apartment block in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, may be getting an over-the-top amenity: a 1,000-foot ski slope.
Shokhan Mataibekov, an active skier and member of the Union of Architects of Kazakhstan, has made a proposal for the residential ski slope based on the fact that residents don’t have access to a nearby facility. At a price tag of approximately $70 million, the year-round rooftop ski slope would be track mounted and comprised of Snowflex, a synthetic material that mimics the slip and grip of real snow.
But, you may be thinking, where have I seen this concept before? Oh, that’s right, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his firm BIG are designing “the cleanest waste-to-energy plant in the world” in Copenhagen, which is also outfitted with a built-in ski slope and a chimney that releases smoke rings periodically. BIG’s plans have been in the works since 2011, and the plant is slated for completion in 2017.
The Slalom House was shortlisted in the Future Residential projects category at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore in November. The design included space for both retailers and food outlets on the building’s lower half, 421 two-bedroom apartments on the upper half, and a separate entrance outfitted with panoramic elevators that would provide access to the top of the building.
The project has been submitted to the city officials and is currently under review.
