Astana has proposed turning the concrete pillars of its light rail transit (LRT) system into a long urban gallery, but the initiative has drawn mixed reactions from residents, infohub.kz reports.
A Threads user under the handle @tleuzhanovsaken put forward the idea of launching a pilot project to paint the LRT pillars with the involvement of local street artists and young creators. Under his plan, sketches would be approved in advance, and the artwork itself would be done to a high standard.
As an example, the Astana resident showed several design options. In one of them, the pillars are decorated with a portrait of a girl in national style, an image of a golden eagle, natural landscapes, and ornaments. The author proposes not limiting it to individual drawings but creating a whole series of works that could change the usual appearance of the LRT's concrete structures.
However, not everyone in the comments supported the idea. Many Astana residents felt that bright painting would make the city visually overloaded, and some would even prefer to leave the pillars as they are.
"The idea is good, but it can't be done. It's prohibited for technical reasons. Because damage and so on wouldn't be visible," "I don't want all these colorful spots. It's really noisy," "No-no-no, stop. Solid colors are just right," "Don't touch or load the pillars. It will be ugly," "It's ugly, not refined," commenters write.
There were also those concerned not only about the city's appearance. According to one user, bright drawings could distract drivers, and the pillars themselves would become a spot for photos, which could create problems on the roads.
"Leave them as they are. Painting is better done, as usual, on buildings. On the LRT it will distract drivers, young people will start taking photos there and hinder traffic. It will create more problems than benefits," one commenter noted.
Some, however, supported the idea. One user even suggested depicting khans and batyrs on the pillars. But for now, it is only an idea and visual sketches. The Astana akimat has not yet announced an official decision on painting the LRT pillars.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that the Yesentai River embankment in Almaty had begun to be decorated with bright drawings and the surrounding area cleaned up. However, not everyone liked the new design. Some residents criticized the painting. We found out how the drawings are created and why disputes arose around the renovation.