On 26 October 2026 the first stone was laid for Iconic Complex in Alatau. It is the city’s first skyscraper and, so far, the only officially announced residential project. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev attended the ceremony. If you are looking at an apartment in Alatau, this matters more than it might seem: the project has moved from site surveys and test piles to actual construction.
What is being built
According to the Government press service, the complex consists of two towers, 272 and 78 metres tall. They will hold offices, homes, a hotel, shops and public spaces. Investment exceeds USD 800 million. The general contractor is China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), and the architectural concept is by the US firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Completion is planned for the end of 2029.
The developer previously gave the second tower’s height as 80 metres; the government release says 78. The gap is small, but details like this are worth checking once sales open and official project documents become available.
We cover the complex, its architects and contractor in detail on the Iconic Towers page.
Why the safety requirements matter
Alatau lies in a seismically active region, so for a future resident the key question about any high-rise is how well it is built. At the ceremony Bozumbayev specifically demanded that deadlines, seismic safety and energy-efficiency requirements be met. On top of that, the city’s special legal regime has introduced independent technical review of design documentation with international experts. Complex projects such as a skyscraper will be assessed against foreign practice, not only local codes.
The city around the site
The tower is not going up in an empty field. According to the Government, fixed-capital investment in Alatau grew 1.6 times over the first nine months of 2026, reaching KZT 70.3 billion. In parallel, 28 infrastructure projects are under way: reconstruction of the Kokpa-1 substation, water supply facilities and road repairs. We looked at them in our article on 28 infrastructure projects for 2026. A residential district cannot function without power, water and roads, so buyers should watch this work as closely as the tower itself.
What it means for buyers
There are no sales yet. The developer, Alatau City Development Group, has not published a price list or opened apartment reservations. If someone offers you a “pre-sale” or asks for a deposit on an Iconic Complex unit through an intermediary, treat it as a warning sign. Purchase terms will come from the developer itself.
The horizon is three years. Handover is planned for the end of 2029. Buying at the foundation stage is usually cheaper, but the buyer carries the schedule risk. The Government is publicly keeping the project under control, which adds predictability, but it is not a guarantee.
The district will be a business one. Iconic Complex anchors the business centre in the south of the city, next to Almaty. Offices and a hotel inside the complex mean jobs and services within walking distance. For a landlord that supports rental demand; for a family it is a reason to find out early where the district’s schools and clinics will be.
What to do now. Follow official announcements from the developer and the Government, and cross-check the figures. If you want to hear about the sales launch among the first, leave a request on the complex page and we will let you know when the developer opens reservations.
Source: Government of Kazakhstan — Construction of the first unique skyscraper begins in Alatau (in Russian).