The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Cave, an archeological site in Beijing, China, was under the threat of harsh weather conditions and erosions. So, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China reported a plan to construct a protective shelter to UNESCO in 2013. Following the approval of the project, the architects of THUD draw a plan in 2014 and constructed the shelter between 2015 and 2018.
Two rows of footholds at the south and the north of the Peking man cave support the prefabricated shelter. Its curvy form imitates the surrounding topography, and according to the expectations, it will also blend with the greenery in a few years. Meanwhile, the inner surface mimics the rock formation of the cave. This large shelter covers an area of about 3700 m2, and its maximum height from the ground is 35.7 meters.
The double skin of the shelter balances the humidity and temperature while also preventing wind, rain, and snow. The blades overlap each other in a way that provides both proper rainwater drainage and ventilation as well as daylight. Overall, there are 825 blades, 420 on the outer side, and 405 on the inner side.
