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Astana Expo 2017

Project Details

New Build

Practice

Space Agency

Dog & Duck Yard , Princeton Street , London , WC1R 4BH , United Kingdom

Space Agency has been appointed as the wayfinding and signage designer for Expo 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The project includes wayfinding strategy and design proposals for the Expo period as well as its transformation in the post-Expo legacy mode. The masterplan has been designed by American firm AS+GG and includes a Museum of Future Energy, Thematic Pavilions, National and Corporate Pavilions, a hotel, congress hall, art centre, public space, offices, residential, bus station, coach station, taxi stands, police station and surface and underground parking. The theme of the Expo is Future Energy, and subthemes are based on the 4 elements: air, fire, water and earth. Drawing on these themes, the design uses ancient alchemic symbols to signify the different zones of the masterplan with sacred geometric forms. Space Agency was also employed to forecast circulation patterns within the central Sphere Museum of Future Energy using Space Syntax. Spatial analysis software such as Space Syntax can be used to show how the behaviour of visitors to the Expo is determined by geometry and layout of space. The analysis and findings can be used to determine and influence spatial organisation and layouts. We have carried out two types of spatial analysis, visual integration and agent analysis for route choice. These studies assisted the client to understand the hierarchy of routes and best areas to place signage.