If skiing straight out of your apartment is on your must-have amenity checklist, architects in Astana, Kazakhstan have just the building for you. A new housing complex proposed by the architect group Shokhan Mataibekov decided to turn Kazakhstan's long winters into an asset. If built, House Slalom would have 21 stories, 421 apartments, and an outdoor 1,000-foot ski slope running to the ground. It's the ultimate ski-in/ski-out living, but with nary a mountain in sight.
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The proposed project would be the first of its kind, according to the design firm. The ski slope would be constructed of Snowflex, a synthetic material meant to simulate the feeling of real snow but without all the hassle of actual precipitation. The Snowflex hill would operate equally well in the winter or summer.
Skiers would get to the top of the slope via a chairlift and the complex would likely be open to the public, not just apartment residents. According to the Telegraph, the architects proposed the project because the city of Astana suffers through a long winter, with temperatures below zero from November through April. But with temperatures that cold, does anyone actually want to ski outside in the city? Looks like we'll find out, as the plans for House Slalom are currently awaiting approval from city officials.
· Tenants could ski out their front door at new flats in Kazakhstan [Telegraph]