In central Tashkent, restoration of the lake near the Legislative Chamber begins after six years

Work has begun at the site of the drained reservoir

Restoration of the lake next to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis has begun in central Tashkent: a Gazeta correspondent visited the site, where earthworks are currently underway. We are talking about a 3-hectare reservoir with an island and a fountain, which was part of the National Park of Uzbekistan and was drained in the spring of 2020. The day before, the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change published a render of the future lake and confirmed to the outlet that the reservoir will be restored as part of the nationwide Clean Air project — to reduce dust levels and improve air quality and the local microclimate. The project was approved by a presidential decree in March.

Six years of failed plans for this site

Over these years, the story of the plot went through several scenarios that never materialized. In 2020, a restaurant complex called Light House with an observation tower was planned on the lake's island, but the project was not implemented. In 2021, construction began here on a new building for the National Academic Drama Theatre, with completion planned by 2023; the client was listed as the directorate of the Tashkent City International Business Center under the government, the general contractor was Enter Engineering PTE, and the general designer was Oil and Gas Design. That project was also halted. Thus, the return of the lake is the first change actually begun on this site in six years, after two cancelled construction plans.

What is known about the future look

Judging by the committee's render, two large fountains connected by pathways may be placed in two diagonal corners of the lake, and an arch with a mirrored surface in one corner. For now, only earthworks are underway at the site, and how close the final project will be to the sketch is unknown. Both reservoirs of the National Park — the large reservoir, drained in 2019 for the construction of Magic City and refilled with water in 2022 at the opening of the renovated park, and the small lake — were fed by the Anhor canal.

The lake is part of a broader program

The restoration near the Legislative Chamber is one of 12 artificial reservoirs planned to be built in the capital. Gazeta previously wrote about projects near the airport (the Kumaryk mahalla), near Victory Park, in the Uchtepa district, in the Botanical Garden and in a new park on the site of the former Research Institute of Sericulture. The outlet also recalls that in 2022 the capital was left without city beaches, and in 2025 it examined why such water spaces are important for cities. On the other side of the Legislative Chamber building, also on the territory of the National Park, the National Museum of Uzbekistan is being built designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando with an exhibition concept by the German firm Atelier Brückner; the museum will also be partially surrounded by water.