The Kazakhstan pavilion, Nur Alem, was the exhibition complex's main architectural structure. This is the world's biggest spherically-shaped building, standing 100 meters tall from the ground and measuring 80 meters in circumference. It has a total size of 24,000 square meters. The complex was designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa and constructed by the Chinese company ZHAJI. Kurokawa intended for the building to be both a political and a cultural statement. Its shape represents the planet Earth and its interior contains a movie theater, music room, library, and other facilities for visitors to experience art from around the world. The building was powered by solar panels mounted on its surface and it also used natural ventilation instead of air conditioning. It took more than five years to complete Nur Alem and it was opened by Khazakhstan's then-president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in October 1990. The complex was subsequently closed in 2000 when Khazakstan's government decided not to fund its maintenance anymore. It has been listed as an historic site by UNESCO since 2003. Today, the building stands empty but it can still be visited through photos displayed throughout the rooms. There are also plans to make the building functional again but this has not yet materialized.