As Australia moves in to winter, many of us are digging out our ski gear and packing away our swim suits and beach towels.
Although we are a nation of beach-lovers, there’s something about our snow-capped mountains that attract us in droves.
Now, imagine as you head off to your favourite winter destination, finding an apartment complex complete with a ski ramp on the roof.
Sounds like fiction? Well, the fact is this world-first could soon be a reality in Kazakhstan, where architect Shokhan Mataibekov hopes to bring his crazy concept, ‘Slalom House’, to life.
The flat plains of the nation’s capital, Astana, receives snow fall for up to six months a year, but with no mountain or ramp nearby, Mataibekov took matters in to his own hands.
He wants to build a 21-storey apartment tower with a ski run for a roof.
If it gets the green light, the $70 million project will mean snow bunnies can ride down the 1000 foot ski slope from the roof to the footpath.
Adding weight to the proposal is the fact the track could be used year-round, with an artificial snow used to cover the slope in the summer months.
The proposal of 421 one and two bedroom units was a finalist at the 2015 World Architecture Festival in the residential building category.
Image source: Shokhan Mataibekov