"The -converted Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture occupies an historic site in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Built in 1964, the original cinema commemorated the Soviet 'Virgin Lands' campaign, a politically charged project that reshaped the region's relationship to its steppe landscape. Over the decades, the building fell into disrepair, its monumental auditorium subdivided and its historic sgraffito - scratched or carved - artwork partially lost."
"Beginning in 2017, the Tselinny Center team initiated a careful reconstruction. Khan worked closely with local architect Zaure Aitayeva to stabilize the structure, strengthen it against seismic activity, and reintroduce its original spatial clarity. The rediscovered sgrafitto by Soviet artist Evgeny Sidorkin was restored with a restrained palette, allowing the work to coexist with contemporary art installations. The renovation removes intrusive additions while revealing the auditorium's impressive 18-meter (59-foot) height."
The Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture in Almaty converts the historic 1964 Tselinny cinema into a nearly 12,000 square meter cultural complex, comprising roughly 6,000 square meters of renovated interiors and an equal-sized landscaped site. The project, led by London-based architect Asif Khan in collaboration with local architect Zaure Aitayeva, stabilizes and strengthens the Soviet-era structure for seismic resilience while restoring original spatial clarity. The restoration conserved and revealed Evgeny Sidorkin's sgrafitto, rehabilitated the monumental auditorium, removed intrusive additions, and introduced contemporary programming within an undulating façade that links Central Asia's Soviet legacy to its evolving creative future.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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