Guardian： Like dinosaur eggs in the sand: the pterosaur museum built to thrive in the Gobi desert

The Guardian explores the innovative design of the Hami Pterosaur Museum in Xinjiang, China, designed by Turenscape to withstand the Gobi Desert’s extreme climate while minimizing energy consumption. Inspired by the principle of adapting to nature rather than fighting against it, the museum is largely built underground, using the earth’s thermal properties, natural ventilation, and large skylight funnels to reduce the need for mechanical cooling and artificial lighting. Supported by an on-site solar power system and water recycling facilities, the museum demonstrates how architecture can respond intelligently to harsh environmental conditions. As one of the last projects completed by the late Professor Kongjian Yu, founder of Turenscape and pioneer of the Sponge City concept, the museum embodies a broader ecological design philosophy: working with natural systems to create resilient, resource-efficient built environments.

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Source:https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/16/dinosaur-eggs-pterosaur-museum-built-gobi-desert