Almaty Museum of Arts opens its doors, designed by Chapman Taylor
Almaty, Kazakhstan | 12 September 2025. Chapman Taylor is proud to announce the opening of the Almaty Museum of Arts, a landmark cultural institution dedicated to modern and contemporary art in Central Asia.
Situated at the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains, the 10,060 m² museum is inspired by the dramatic contrast between Almaty’s mountainous landscape and its urban setting. Chapman Taylor’s design brings this dialogue into the architecture, expressed through two “L”-shaped limestone and aluminium-clad wings that house light-filled galleries, a central corridor known as Art Street, and landscaped gardens featuring commissioned sculptures.
A landmark for culture and community, the 10,000-square-metre museum incorporates permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, dedicated rooms for featured artists, art education workshops, and a flexible performance and theatre space. At its heart lies a central, enclosed “art street”, which seamlessly extends into a network of terraces, plazas, and landscaped public spaces designed for social gatherings and outdoor art installations. More than a gallery, the Almaty Museum of Arts is envisioned as a living cultural platform, a place where past and present, regional and global, converge. It aims to serve as a catalyst for dialogue, creativity, and education, inviting locals and tourists alike to engage with a richly layered art experience.
The museum was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Nurlan Smagulov, who has gifted his collection of over 700 artworks to the city. Its inaugural programme includes the first retrospective of pioneering Kazakh artist Almagul Menlibayeva, the collection-based exhibition Qonaqtar, and a series of live performances and cultural events inspired by Central Asia’s oral traditions. Visitors can also experience dedicated Artist Rooms featuring major works by Richard Serra, Yayoi Kusama, Anselm Kiefer, and Bill Viola, alongside newly commissioned outdoor sculptures by Yinka Shonibare, Alicja Kwade, and Jaume Plensa.
Chris Lanksbury, UK Board Director at Chapman Taylor, said: “Designing the Almaty Museum of Arts has been an extraordinary opportunity to create a cultural landmark that embodies the spirit of Kazakhstan. The architecture reflects the unique meeting point of mountain and city, while providing a world-class setting for art that celebrates both regional identity and international dialogue. We are honoured to have played a role in shaping a building that will inspire generations to come.”
The museum’s opening marks a transformative moment for Kazakhstan’s cultural landscape, positioning Almaty as a new global destination for art and dialogue.
Almaty Museum of Arts. Photography by Alexey Naroditsky
Situated at the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains, the 10,060 m² museum is inspired by the dramatic contrast between Almaty’s mountainous backdrop and its urban setting. Chapman Taylor’s design brings this dialogue into the architecture, expressed through two interconnecting limestone and aluminium-clad volumes that house a wide variety of galleries, accessed from a dramatic central light-filled atrium known as the Art Street.
A landmark for culture and community, the museum incorporates permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, dedicated rooms for featured artists, art education workshops, and a flexible performance and theatre space. At its heart lies a central, enclosed “Art Street”, which seamlessly extends into a network of terraces, plazas, and landscaped public spaces designed for social gatherings and outdoor art installations. More than a gallery, the Almaty Museum of Arts is envisioned as a living cultural platform, a place where past and present, regional and global, converge. It aims to serve as a catalyst for dialogue, creativity, and education, inviting locals and tourists alike to engage with a richly layered art experience.
The museum was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Nurlan Smagulov, who has gifted his collection of over 700 artworks to the city. Its inaugural programme includes the first retrospective of pioneering Kazakh artist Almagul Menlibayeva, the collection-based exhibition Qonaqtar, and a series of live performances and cultural events inspired by Central Asia’s oral traditions. Visitors can also experience dedicated Artist Rooms featuring major works by Richard Serra, Yayoi Kusama, Anselm Kiefer, and Bill Viola, alongside newly commissioned outdoor sculptures by Yinka Shonibare, Alicja Kwade, and Jaume Plensa.
Chris Lanksbury, UK Board Director at Chapman Taylor, said: “Designing the Almaty Museum of Arts has been an extraordinary opportunity to create a cultural landmark that embodies the spirit of Kazakhstan. The architecture reflects the unique meeting point of mountain and city, while providing a world-class setting for art that celebrates both regional identity and international dialogue. We are honoured to have played a role in shaping a building that will inspire generations to come.”
The museum’s opening marks a transformative moment for Kazakhstan’s cultural landscape, positioning Almaty as a new global destination for art and dialogue.
Almaty Museum of Arts. Photography by Alexey Naroditsky.
A landmark for culture and community, the museum incorporates permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, dedicated rooms for featured artists, art education workshops, and a flexible performance and theatre space. At its heart lies a central, enclosed “Art Street”, which seamlessly extends into a network of terraces, plazas, and landscaped public spaces designed for social gatherings and outdoor art installations. More than a gallery, the Almaty Museum of Arts is envisioned as a living cultural platform, a place where past and present, regional and global, converge. It aims to serve as a catalyst for dialogue, creativity, and education, inviting locals and tourists alike to engage with a richly layered art experience.
The museum was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Nurlan Smagulov, who has gifted his collection of over 700 artworks to the city. Its inaugural programme includes the first retrospective of pioneering Kazakh artist Almagul Menlibayeva, the collection-based exhibition Qonaqtar, and a series of live performances and cultural events inspired by Central Asia’s oral traditions. Visitors can also experience dedicated Artist Rooms featuring major works by Richard Serra, Yayoi Kusama, Anselm Kiefer, and Bill Viola, alongside newly commissioned outdoor sculptures by Yinka Shonibare, Alicja Kwade, and Jaume Plensa.
Chris Lanksbury, UK Board Director at Chapman Taylor, said: “Designing the Almaty Museum of Arts has been an extraordinary opportunity to create a cultural landmark that embodies the spirit of Kazakhstan. The architecture reflects the unique meeting point of mountain and city, while providing a world-class setting for art that celebrates both regional identity and international dialogue. We are honoured to have played a role in shaping a building that will inspire generations to come.”
The museum’s opening marks a transformative moment for Kazakhstan’s cultural landscape, positioning Almaty as a new global destination for art and dialogue.
Almaty Museum of Arts. Photography by Alexey Naroditsky.
Almaty Museum of Arts: https://www.almaty.art/
