Announcing the decision on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamas Al Thani thanked Kazakhstan for its commitment to and development of winter sports. "Almaty is a city with deep connections to winter sports and we have very fond memories of when we last hosted the Asian Winter Games in 2011," he said at a press conference. "We have no doubt we will build on this legacy and deliver an unforgettable Games in 2029," Al Thani added.
Today, it's Kazakhstan 's largest city and the second biggest in all of Central Asia, with a population of 2 million people exceeded only by 2.6 million people in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. At the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, Almaty is a vibrant center of commerce and culture, known for how it blends Soviet-era architecture with trendy neighborhoods, glitzy boutiques, and celebrations of time-honored crafts on street corners beside fashionable cafés and dining establishments.
As part of our ongoing exploration of Almaty's identity through urban cafe interiors following our previously published project Fika (2023) this new space continues our investigation into the architecture and spirit of the city as both reference and point of departure.