Ken Dala business centre in Almaty
Ken Dala is a nine-storey business centre at the junction of Dostyk Avenue and Karasai Batyr Street, with entrances to the site from Dostyk and from Zenkov Street. The building has a biography unusual for business Almaty: this is not a new build but a Soviet-era structure completely reworked in the mid-2000s. Below is what that means for a tenant, where the sources disagree and what to look at when choosing a unit.
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Building details
- Building class: A
- Address: проспект Достык, 38
- District: Медеуский
- City: Алматы
- Floors: 9
- Total area: 19 140 м²
Available space
There are no open listings for this building right now: owners do not publish every block. We will put together options on request — send a request or browse offices in Almaty.
Offices nearby
These are office listings across Almaty, not units in this building.
- Офис на продажу 152 м2, 143 100 000 — 152 м², Бостандыкский , 143 100 000 ₸
- Помещение 400 кв.м. — 400 м², Алматы, 4 248 000 ₸
- трёхуровневый офис 590 кв.м. 3 500 000 тг — 590 м², Бостандыкский район , 3 500 000 ₸
- Офис 150 м2, 1400000 — 150 м², Бостандыкский, 1 400 000 ₸
- Офис 135 м2, 1300 000 — 135 м², Бостандыкский, 1 300 000 ₸
- Офис 90 м2 , 94500000 — 90 м², Бостандыкский, 94 500 000 ₸
Other business centres nearby
See also: the Almaty business centre directory, Nurly Tau business centre, office rent in Almaty.
A 1972 building after a full refurbishment
According to an architectural review by the publication Vlast.kz, the building was completed in 1972 to a design by the Kazgorstroyproject institute and formed part of the development of what was then Lenin Avenue — the same ensemble as the blocks known in the city as the “Three Bogatyrs” and the “Two Bogatyrs”. A full refurbishment took place in 2005–2006: the sun-shading grilles on the façade were replaced with blue glass and vertical aluminium composite panels, the upper floors received paired square windows, and the space under the canopy was glazed to form a lobby. This account is independently confirmed by an industry review on czhr.kz.
There is also a second version. The website of the company TS Development assigns Ken Dala to its own portfolio and gives 2003 as the year the project was completed, at a cost of 12 million dollars. The difference in dates and in the framing of the question itself — “built” or “refurbished” — is not explained by the sources. An indirect argument in favour of the mid-2000s refurbishment version: the management company of the building was registered in January 2006. We give both versions, because choosing on behalf of the sources is not our job.
The international consultancy Cushman & Wakefield marks the building as Old Built in its own property record. For a tenant that is an honest and useful characterisation: the layout and engineering solutions of such a building differ fundamentally from properties designed as offices from the outset, and it should be compared not with the glass towers of the 2020s but with other refurbished buildings in the centre.
The structure and what it gives a tenant
This is that rare case where structural parameters are published for a building, not just the area and the class. The frame is steel with reinforced concrete floor slabs. The column grid is 6.4 metres in the longitudinal direction and 5.3 × 3 × 5.3 metres in the transverse. The design load on the floor slab is 500 kg per square metre in the offices and 300 kg in the halls and corridors. The façade is assembled from aluminium glazing and class A2 aluminium composite panels, that is, non-combustible ones.
The ceiling height varies by floor: 4.2 metres on the ground floor and 3.3 metres on those above. These values are given both by the developer and by the brokerage catalogues, which makes them one of the most reliably confirmed parameters of the building. For a tenant this matters: 3.3 metres is a comfortable height for open plan with a suspended ceiling and ventilation runs, while the ground floor with its 4.2 metres suits formats that need volume — a showroom, a client area, a café.
The total area is 19,140 sq m, a value given consistently by Cushman & Wakefield and by the brokerage catalogues. On the lettable area the sources diverge: the building’s own website and the catalogues speak of roughly 15,000 sq m, whereas Cushman & Wakefield separates 15,500 sq m of usable area from 3,640 sq m of ancillary space. There are nine floors, plus technical, semi-basement and basement levels.
The dispute over class: A or B+
The building’s own website claims Class A. Market assessments assign Ken Dala to Class B+. We give both positions.
There is, however, a detail that tips the scales. Lists of Class A business centres in Almaty usually include Esentai Tower, Almaty Plaza, Park View Office Tower, Abylai Khan Plaza and Green Tower — Ken Dala is not among them. There is one practical conclusion for a tenant: it is more sensible to compare the rent at this address with the upper end of B+ than with Class A.
The practical meaning of the dispute lies not in the letter but in the rent and in expectations. If the owner is asking a Class A price, it is worth requesting a justification on specific parameters — parking per tenant, building services, tenant mix — and comparing them with properties whose Class A status is not disputed. A refurbished building in the centre can be an excellent choice, but what you buy should be its real merits rather than a letter in a catalogue.
Engineering, security and parking
The engineering specification here is described in more detail than for most properties in this selection — the effect of having a record with an international consultancy.
- central air conditioning and supply and exhaust ventilation
- two goods-and-passenger lifts of 630 kg and two high-speed passenger lifts of 400 kg
- fire safety system with round-the-clock monitoring and standalone emergency power supply
- seismic resistance of 9 points
- surface parking for more than 147 cars, divided into a zone for tenants and a zone for their clients
- internet providers in the building: SkyNet, SmartNet, Beeline, KazakhTelecom
What is inside the building
The fourth floor houses the AZURE restaurant — European and Eastern cuisine, a business lunch, a room for up to 120 guests, live music and a summer terrace. For a company that regularly holds client meetings, having a decent restaurant inside the building removes a whole class of organisational tasks.
The Shenergy fitness centre serves both the residents of the business centre and the wider city, with special terms offered to tenants of the building. The timetable includes yoga, stretching, Zumba and body mix, and there is a table tennis area. This is the kind of infrastructure that rarely drives the choice of space but noticeably affects how staff feel about the office six months after the move.
34 organisations are registered in the building. Among the tenants, Schneider Electric is confirmed by name; the building’s own website describes the resident mix in general terms — “the largest bank in the CIS”, “a global IT company”, international law firms — without names. Current neighbours are worth checking separately: this is the fastest-ageing parameter of any building.
Getting there and what to clarify before the lease
The nearest metro station is Almaly, about 1.3 km away and around twelve minutes on foot. The building stands in the so-called “golden square”: banks, hotels, restaurants, shops, a pharmacy, a cinema and a gym are all within walking distance. It is an address that needs no explaining to a client and, at the same time, a district with well-known restrictions on street parking — a site of your own for cars is especially valuable here.
Two details worth checking at the viewing. There is no designated smoking area at the entrance, and smokers gather right on the approach to the building — if you are taking a unit on the lower floors with windows onto the entrance, this is noticeable. The pass regime for couriers and deliveries is strict: with a heavy flow of correspondence or samples, the admission procedure is worth discussing with the management company before signing the lease rather than after.
Before signing the lease we advise closing four questions. First, the ceiling height and the structural grid of your specific unit, because in a refurbished building they can differ from the documented figures. Second, how many parking spaces are allocated to the unit and in which of the two zones. Third, the composition of the service charge and the indexation procedure. Fourth, the access regime: receiving visitors, working in the evening hours, admitting couriers.
Questions and answers
In what year was the Ken Dala building completed?
The sources disagree. The architectural review by Vlast.kz and the industry review on czhr.kz state that the building was completed in 1972 to a design by the Kazgorstroyproject institute and fully refurbished in 2005–2006. The website of the company TS Development assigns the property to its own portfolio and gives 2003 as the year the project was completed.
What class are the offices in Ken Dala?
The building’s own website claims Class A, while market assessments give B+. Ken Dala, meanwhile, is not included in the lists of Class A buildings in Almaty. Both positions are worth taking into account when comparing rents.
What is the ceiling height and what areas does the building have?
The ceiling height is 4.2 metres on the ground floor and 3.3 metres on those above. The total area is 19,140 sq m. On the lettable area the sources diverge: around 15,000 sq m according to the website and the catalogues, or 15,500 sq m of usable plus 3,640 sq m of ancillary space according to Cushman & Wakefield. There are nine office floors.
Is there parking?
Yes, surface parking for more than 147 cars. It is divided into two zones: an inner one for tenants and an outer one for their clients. The number of spaces allocated to a specific unit is agreed in the lease.
What is in the building besides offices?
The fourth floor houses the AZURE restaurant with a room for up to 120 guests and a summer terrace, and the building also has the Shenergy fitness centre, which offers residents special terms. In total 34 organisations are registered in the building; among the confirmed tenants is Schneider Electric.
How can I find out available space and rents in Ken Dala?
Owners do not publish some units openly. Send a request and we will collect the current options in the building and comparable offers in the centre of Almaty.
See also
ТОО «Nurly Tau Realty (Нурлы Тау Реалти)», БИН 171040029589, 050000, г. Алматы, Бостандыкский район, пр. Аль-Фараби, дом 15, н.п. 21г. Тел. +7 702 444 89 98, info@nurlytau.kz.