Fine Dining and Leisure on the Ishim River
  1. Home
  2. Contract 004
  3. Fine Dining and Leisure on the Ishim River

Fine Dining and Leisure on the Ishim River

Hotel The Veil

Archea Associati

Fine Dining and Leisure on the Ishim River
By Editorial Staff -

Inspired by images of ancient Asian yurts and the rippling waters of the nearby Ishim River, The Veil is a five-story monolith that has transfigured the city of Astana’s entire skyline. Built on the banks of the river that winds through the Kazakh capital, its unusual forms make the new building a veritable landmark, a break from the surrounding urban context and, at the same time, a connector between the two parts of the modern metropolis separated by the river.

Hotel The Veil - © Pietro Savorelli, courtesy Archea I primi piani sono pensati come un tempio del gusto, con ristoranti dalla cucina internazionale, bar,  una wine boutique e una pizzeria.

The fluid and dynamic exterior of the Marco Casamonti/Archea Associati-designed Veil provides 8,000 sq. m of fine dining and leisure at restaurants, stores, a wine bar and a boutique hotel, all within an envelope characterized by repeated arches along its topline and façades, with mineral inlays and textures that, working their way from bottom to top, simulate watery waves. This rhythm continues with glass arches that run along every side of the building, not only reflecting the sky and clouds but offering glimpses of an interior that reprises the exterior’s contrasting materials – glass, wood, Cor-Ten® steel and pigmented concrete for the walls – along with drapery inspired by the Ishim.

Hotel The Veil - © Pietro Savorelli, courtesy Archea Elemento cardine del progetto, che connette le varie ali dell’hotel, è la grande e iconica scala le cui rampe si susseguono, mai uguali a se stesse, creando un vuoto centrale per tutta l’altezza dell’edificio.

Every flight of the imposing, central staircase that connects all parts of the building is configured differently. The unique profiles on each level provide a sinuous and harmonious complement to the floors above and below. Continuity with the walls, which ripple like waves on the river in some places and are smooth in others, is achieved through the colors chosen and the sometimes solid, sometimes hollow handrails.

The ground floor opens out to form a large covered plaza for the lobby and reception, acting as a gateway to the hotel rooms, bars and stores, in addition to a fumoir area equipped with armchairs and tables in one of the building’s terminal points, surrounded by glass windows that invite visitors to stop and look at the surrounding landscape. The first and second floors offer cafés and restaurants serving Kazakh, Italian and Chinese cuisine, along with events spaces and a dedicated kids area.

Hotel The Veil - © Pietro Savorelli, courtesy Archea

The three upper levels are reserved for the hotel’s variety of room types, ranging from standard to presidential suite, along with a wellness center whose ceiling resembles a star-studded sky, and offer yet more views out over the city. The spa is not the only area to benefit from a sophisticated lighting system: the restaurants are hung with sumptuous chandeliers, many of which are imposing and stylishly-shaped.

An architectural work with the power to create a dialogue and balance between man-made creations and nature, The Veil encapsulates the city of Astana’s forward-looking gaze.

Location: Astana, Kazakhstan
Client: Private
Completion: 2021
Gross Floor Area: 8,000 m2
Architect and Interior Designer: Marco Casamonti/Archea Associati
Main Contractor: TOO Nurly Saulet

Photography by Pietro Savorelli, courtesy of Archea Associati

You might also like:
Contract 004
Contract 004

THE PLAN Contract 4 will be released in April 2022 as a supplement in THE PLAN 137. This fourth special issue of THE PLAN devoted to commercial interior design and architecture takes readers on a journey through the latest and most important Italian ... Read More

Paper Version Paper Version
15.00 €
Digital version Digital version
5.49 €
Keep up with the latest trends in the architecture and design world

© Maggioli SpA • THE PLAN • Via del Pratello 8 • 40122 Bologna, Italy • T +39 051 227634 • P. IVA 02066400405 • ISSN 2499-6602 • E-ISSN 2385-2054