PANTEON

Rooted in Kazakhstan’s vast terrain of steppes and rolling hills, the project is integrated into the ground as a central landform. Positioned in dialogue with the existing Kabanbai Batyr Memorial, the pantheon becomes a focal point of the site. A circular access sequence allows visitors to experience the building from multiple viewpoints before entry, reinforcing its monumental and landscape-driven character.
Inspired by Issyk Kurgans—ancient burial mounds—the memorial is conceived as a sculpted hill emerging from the landscape. The hill symbolizes the world, while parallel lines carved into its surface represent the individuals buried within. These grooves admit daylight into the pantheon, creating a quiet, contemplative atmosphere. A central dome, punctured by an oculus, brings a focused beam of light into the core. Structural columns act both as load-bearing elements and symbolic links between the underground crypt and the landscape above, connecting earth, memory, and sky.