Astana Cityscapes

[Paul Lange]

More old photos from last year. Astana really is an interesting city and wasn't what I was expecting in Kazakhstan the first time I went there. Odd weather; sunny and heavy rain storms, produced a strange light, a mix of direct and diffused. Along with the architecture gave a strange texture to the image.


Astana Cityscape 1.jpg by Paul R Lange, on Flickr



Astanna Cityscape 2.jpg by Paul R Lange, on Flickr



Astana Cityscape 3.jpg by Paul R Lange, on Flickr



Astana Cityscape 4.jpg by Paul R Lange, on Flickr

 

[Brian Moore]

Interesting set, Paul. Who's the bloke in the last one. What is the gold structure in the 1st one?

 

[Paul Lange]

Cheers Brian, I'm not sure they have much artistic merit but I do like them as they seem to sum up the fake feel the city has, especially around that particular area. The odd lighting added to this. I thought people might be interested to see what the place looks like. The guy in the last one is Sergey. He works for a company out their who my employer is beginning to cooperate with. The gold building, dreadful isn't it? I have no idea what it is or what the architect was on when he designed it .

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Cheers Brian, I'm not sure they have much artistic merit but I do like them as they seem to sum up the fake feel the city has, especially around that particular area. The odd lighting added to this. I thought people might be interested to see what the place looks like. The guy in the last one is Sergey. He works for a company out their who my employer is beginning to cooperate with. The gold building, dreadful isn't it? I have no idea what it is or what the architect was on when he designed it .

 

[Brian Moore]

Your expression "fake feel" is apropos for the architecture in Astana. I went online to see more pictures of the place and they've done all this new architecture, intended to be monumental I suppose, but all seeming to come off dreadfully ersatz and kitsch.

What's it like outside the built up areas---more like where Borat comes from maybe?

 

[Beth Carter]

the gold building belongs in a doctor who episode... or maybe the tower flanked by the gold buildings. either way, the doctor will fix it.

great shots, it does look a bit like it's all for show.

 

[Paul Lange]

Yeah, not all of Kazakhstan is like this. The architecture can be a real mix from city to city and not much in between. Almaty has a mix between the Middle East and old Soviet buildings. Atyrau is an industrial town and more of a mix of Soviet and European.