Architects: Ger Atelier
Year: 2020
Lead Architect: Zhalagenbaier
Design Team: Huhehad
City: Hohhot
Country: China
Air Ger, an Inflatable Mongolian Yurt designed by Ger Atelier in Inner Mongolia, China, reimagines the traditional yurt to cater to modern needs. Created in 2020, this innovative structure offers a portable, lightweight, and thermally insulated space ideal for various uses. The yurt’s design incorporates a double PVC airbag wall for insulation, a transparent skylight, and easy transport, making it a practical solution for diverse environmental challenges, including snow, floods, and strong winds.
Air Ger, an Inflatable Mongolian Yurt is located in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, represents a modern reinterpretation of the traditional felt tent. Rooted in the nomadic culture of the grasslands, yurts have historically been moveable, adaptable living spaces, reflecting the wisdom and resilience of nomadic life. Over time, yurts have evolved, offering insights and inspiration for contemporary residential spaces.
The Inflatable Mongolian Yurt’s design aims to provide flexible, portable living spaces suited to modern life. Its applications range from serving nomads during seasonal migrations to functioning as temporary shelters during festivals, sports events, markets, and emergencies.
The yurt’s design retains the traditional circular form, enhanced by added features like varying window sizes and a transparent skylight. The exterior is constructed using two hot-press techniques, resulting in a durable and visually striking structure.
These inflatable yurts typically range from 3 to 10 meters in diameter, with larger custom sizes available. A 4-meter version weighs around 45 kg and can be set up in 10 minutes and deflated and folded in 15 minutes, reducing its volume significantly for easy transport. This innovation allows the yurt to be conveniently stored in a car trunk, revolutionizing traditional yurt transportation.
Ger Atelier designed the inflatable yurt with a double PVC airbag wall, enhancing its thermal and moisture insulation while also being waterproof. The material’s light transmission feature allows the yurt to glow at night, making it a beacon for travelers on the grassland.
The structure’s smooth surface minimizes snow accumulation, and its detachable cover allows for easy snow removal, addressing one of the traditional yurt’s challenges during winter.
In flood conditions, the inflatable yurt benefits from the buoyancy provided by its airbag walls, in contrast to traditional yurts, which rely on lifting the felt to raise the base.
Wind resistance is managed by the yurt’s round shape and fixed base, while its flexible structure can absorb and reduce wind force.
Unlike traditional yurts, which were transported by animals, these modern versions can be carried by car and require only an airbag, air pump, and mobile power source for assembly, enabling use in remote locations.
The inflatable yurt offers a soft, secure environment, responding to changes in temperature and airflow with a rhythmic expansion and contraction. It serves as a mobile, protective shelter that adapts to the environment, providing comfort and peace of mind in various settings.
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Project Location
Address: Hohhot, Mongolia, China
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
