From a transport network to a creative hub: the Almaty tram depot Authors Kambar Tleubergenov International Educational Corporation Sarsengali Bekeshov International Educational Corporation Dinara Yembergenova International Educational Corporation Zaure Aimagambetova International Educational Corporation Downloads PDF (Russian) DOI: https://doi.org/10.51461/issn.2309-3072/89.2842 Published 2026-09-14 Issue No. 89 (2026): networks et cetera Section refereed articles License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. How to Cite Tleubergenov, K., Bekeshov, S., Yembergenova, D., & Aimagambetova, Z. (2026). From a transport network to a creative hub: the Almaty tram depot. Project Baikal, 23(89), 124-128. https://doi.org/10.51461/issn.2309-3072/89.2842 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver AMA Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX Keywords: transport network, creative space, tram, city, heritage Abstract This article examines the Almaty tram depot as both an infrastructural node of the urban transport network and an object of industrial heritage. Its role in shaping the city’s transportation and social connections throughout the twentieth century is analyzed. Following the discontinuation of the tram system, the depot lost its original function; however, it retains significant potential for integration into new urban networks. Based on historical-archival, morphological, and spatial analyses, the study explores the possibilities of transforming the depot into a creative hub. The revitalization of the site is considered as a strategy for preserving industrial heritage while creating a new center of urban interaction. References Akhmetov, A. (2026). Kak vyglyadit byvshee tramvainoe depo v Almaty v 2026 godu i chto s nim delayut [What the former tram depot in Almaty looks like in 2026 and what will be done with it]. Kazinform. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://www.inform.kz/ru/kak-viglyadit-bivsheetramvaynoe-depo-v-almati-v-2026-godu-i-chto-s-nim-sdelayut-f89353 Almatinsky tramvai. Marshruty [The Almaty tram. Routes]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://almaty-tramway.narod.ru/lines.html Amangeldikyzy, R., Tokayuk, A., & Amandykova, D. (2023). Architectural renovation of industrial buildings on the example of large cities in Kazakhstan. Future Cities and Environment, 9(1). DOI: 10.5334/fce.172 Arfa, F. H., Zijlstra, H., Lubelli, B., Quist, W. (2022). Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings: From a literature review to a model of practice. Historic Environment: Policy and Practice, 13(2), 148-170. DOI: 10.1080/17567505.2022.2058551 Danilin, N., & Aitmolda, B. (2026, March 26). 10 let bez tramvaev: Kak znamenitoe depo v Almaty prevratilos v gorodskuyu “zabroshku” [10 years without trams: How the famous depot in Almaty turned into an urban “abandoned building”]. Tengrinews.kz. Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://tengrinews.kz/article/10-let-tramvaev-znamenitoe-depoalmaty-prevratilos-3892/ ICOMOS. (1964). The International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter). Venice. Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://www.icomos.org ICOMOS, TICCIH. (2011). Joint ICOMOS–TICCIH Principles for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Sites, Structures, Areas and Landscapes (the Dublin Principles). Dublin. Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://ticcih.org Loginova, O. (2025). Kak budet vyglyadet tramvainoe depo v Almaty [What the tram depot in Almaty will look like]. Vlast. Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://vlast.kz/gorod/63683-kak-budetvygladet-tramvajnoe-depo-v-almaty.html Murphy, M., McGovern, E., & Pavia, S. (2009). Historic building information modelling (HBIM). Structural Survey, 27(4), 311-327. DOI: 10.1108/02630800910985108 The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH). (2003). The Nizhny Tagil Charter for the Industrial Heritage. Nizhny Tagil. Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://ticcih.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/NTagilCharter.pdf Tini, M. A. et al. (2024). Scan-to-HBIM-to-VR: An integrated approach for the documentation of an industrial archaeology building. Remote Sensing, 16(15): 2859. DOI: 10.3390/rs16152859 Toishibekova, A. (2016). Almatintsy vybirayut luchshuyu kontseptsiyu obshestvennoi zony na meste byvshego tramvainogo depo [Almaty residents choose the best concept of a public zone on the site of a former tram depot]. Vlast. Retrieved September 10, 2025, from https://vlast.kz/gorod/19548-almatincy-vybiraut-lucsuu-koncepciu-obsestvennoj-zonyna-meste-byvsego-tramvajnogo-depo.html Tolegen, J., Issabayev, G., Yussupova, A., Murzalina, G., & Amandykova, D. (2022). Architectural and compositional concepts of environmentally safe urban arrangement. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 10(3), 1036-1046. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2022.100320