Astana, July 3, 2025. On World Architecture Day, wonderful news arrived: a team of master’s students from the Institute of Design and Spatial Arts claimed victory at the prestigious AGT Global Open Space 2025 international high-tech competition in the “Architecture” category.

The team, consisting of Rustem Rifatovich Ilalov, Yulia Vladimirovna Nesterova, and Pavel Sergeevich Prokhorenko, under the scientific supervision of Stepan Viktorovich Novikov, Candidate of Architecture and Head of the Department of Architecture and Media Arts, presented their project in the finals held in Astana and successfully defended it before an international jury.

Experts praised both the professional execution and the creative concept. At the heart of the project is the idea of a multifunctional cultural center symbolically interpreting the feather of the mythical bird Samruk — one of Kazakhstan’s key national symbols.

The project goes far beyond a traditional library: it combines educational, cultural, and leisure functions while integrating modern technologies, sustainable development, and energy-efficient solutions, making it a model of next-generation sustainable architecture.

In the near future, the project will be submitted to architects and professional organizations in Kazakhstan for consideration of implementation opportunities.

✨ On Architecture Day, we congratulate the winners and all members of the architectural community! May your ideas transform into strong, inspiring projects, and may every creative decision lead to new heights.