Exhibition

Ma Yansong Appointed as the Curator of the China Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

Greeting

MAD Wish You a Happy Year of Snake

Awards

MAD Wins Gold Medal at 2024 ARCASIA Awards for Architecture

Review

MAD 2024 Review

Installation

The Never Hut at the Guangdong Nanhai Land Art Festival 2024

Construction

Lishui (LIJ) Airport | Our Latest Airport is Nearing Completion

At MAD, we lead the way in creating bold, innovative and egalitarian designs that inspire and elevate the human spirit and natural experience. 

We strive to create uncompromising visions 

MAD won a competition in 2014 to design the museum that spans 11 acres. Envisioned as something otherworldly – like a cloud floating over the city – it creates a canopy that shades the park below, exploring the relationship between nature and the built urban environment.

The museum is comprised of gallery spaces, cinema theaters, a library, café and restaurants, along with an expansive landscaped rooftop that brings the greenery from the surrounding part up over the architecture. The terrace allows visitors to experience the museum from another perspective, while taking in panoramic views of Los Angeles.The five-storey museum is a personal project of American filmmaker George Lucas and will house his comprehensive collection of narrative art, comprising more than 10,000 pieces that include comics, illustrations, paintings, photographs, moving images, sculptures, and other works of art linked to movies, along with film memorabilia. This world class landmark project will be MAD’s first museum to be built in the US upon its completion in 2025.

Los Angeles, USA

Culture

Daniel Weber, Jordan Kanter, Daniel Gillen, Wu Kaicong, Zhao Wei, Flora Lee, Jonathan Kontuly, Carmen Carrasco, Jacob Hu, Satoko Narishige, Zhu Yuhao, Casey Kell, Matthew Pugh, Kazushi Miyamoto, Ben Yuqiang, Rozita Kashirtseva, Hiroki Fujino, Chris Nolop, Kek Seow, Younjin Park, Brecht van Acker, Andrea D’Antrassi, Zhang Yiran, Pouya Goshayeshi, Dora Lam, Tong Shangren, Steven Park Chaffer, Sean Tan, Sheenam Mujoo, Dookee Chung, Cesar D Pena Del Rey, Valeria Pestereva,Wang Yiqi, Dmitry Seregin, Lin Yuyang, Jian Zhehong, Zhang Lu, Zeng Hao, Young Koo Kang, Shen Han

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

MAD, led by Ma Yansong, has completed the restoration of the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel in Japan’s Niigata prefecture. The revitalization project sees the installation of several permanent artistic spaces along the historic lookout tunnel, with the intention of bringing back the cultural energy that once empowered the region. The “Tunnel of Light” opened on the occasion of the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Triennale.

Located in the heart of Japan’s snow country, Echigo-Tsumari is home to mountainous terrain and a satoyama which is an agricultural expanse, where traditional ways of farming are still being practiced. While rich in nature, the region has slowly been suffering from an aging and decreasing population – a serious phenomenon that has seen many of the young, rural people moving to the big cities for work or education opportunities. This has left the elderly (65+ years) accounting for 37% of the community, while the average level in Japan is 27.7%.

As part of the 2018 program, MAD was invited to revitalize the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel – a historic, 750-meter passageway that cuts through distinctive rock formations, offering panoramic views over one of Japan’s three great chasms.

Drawing on the ‘five elements’ of nature (wood, earth, metal, fire, water), MAD’s scheme transforms points along the historic tunnel through the realization of several architectural spaces and artistic atmospheres. The designs rethink the relationship between humans and nature, and seek to re-connect locals and visitors alike with the majestic beauty of the land.

MAD’s “Tunnel of Light” is an artistic transformation that demonstrates how art and nature can come together to reinvigorate a community. Each one of the installations, forms a poetic space where visitors can transcend the role of observer, and become an active participant – allowing individuals to place themselves in nature in unexpected ways.



Echigo-Tsumari, Japan

Hiroki Fujino, Kazushi Miyamoto, Yuki Ishigami

Green sigma Co., Ltd.

Tunnel of Light

FENIX Museum of Migration transforms Rotterdam’s historic Fenix warehouse into a cultural landmark that explores the universal story of human migration. Located on the Katendrecht Peninsula, the 1923 warehouse was once the largest transshipment hub in the world, serving as a departure point for millions of migrants.

The design preserves the building’s industrial character, retaining its original concrete structure and green steel windows while introducing contemporary interventions. A glass curtain wall replaces sections of the facade and roof, creating an open, light-filled interior.

At the heart of the transformation is the Tornado a double-helix staircase that rises from the ground floor and extends onto a rooftop observation deck. This sculptural element breaks down the scale of the warehouse into human-centered spaces while offering panoramic views of Rotterdam and the River Maas. Its flowing form, crafted from stainless steel and wood, symbolizes movement and transition, echoing the journeys taken by generations of migrants.

Inside, the space spans two floors, housing a growing collection of art, photography, and historical artifacts. Commissions from emerging international artists further enrich the museum’s narrative, presenting migration through diverse perspectives.

Opening in 2025, FENIX serves as a bridge between past and future, inviting visitors to engage with the complexities of migration through architecture, history, and contemporary storytelling.


Rotterdam, Netherlands

Fenix Museum of Migration 

Shenzhen Bay Culture Park will see an ambitious urban development project that brings a vibrant cultural complex along the waterfront in Shenzhen, China. Numerous high-rises emerged over the past decade have become a contrasting backdrop for MAD’s design of the culture park: a 9.7-hectare piece of land occupied by a Museum of Craft and Design, and a Museum of Life and Science.

The scheme introduces a surreal, large-scale scene into the cityscape: an earth-sheltered architecture – an expansive green surface with a staggered layout of sculpturesque stones resting above, quietly settling into the landscape. Public exhibition spaces are spread across the ground floor, sunken into the ground.

The galleries speak to the surreal exterior, providing visitors with a unique experience that takes them on a journey through time and space. The stone-shaped buildings are mirrored on the interior, delivering flexible and stunning architectural effects. Reaching a height of 30 meters, it can house an exhibition of 5,000 sqm spread out horizontally. Natural light penetrates the exhibition space through subtle openings along the facade of the semi-concealed stones with stairs inviting visitors to climb up.


Shenzhen, China

Shenzhen Bay Culture Park

When designing a stadium (or several stadiums), the scheme should be derived from the architect’s vision for the greater city, bringing both the competition among sports stars and the physical activity of people’s daily lives, together.

Following this ideology, Quzhou Sports Park embeds its functions into a public park. Façades disappear into the terrain, covered by greenery. Contours are engraved into the surface, some forming pedestrian pathways that weave between the mountains and over the architecture. Naturally serving as a new place for citizens to exercise, they offer the opportunity for people to climb the architecture. The lawn also provides a place where people can relax, introducing a new public green space into the city.

Upon completion, the project will become the world’s largest earth-sheltered architecture. MAD believes that the buildings and its architectural techniques should dissolve into human behavior and humanity’s greater spiritual pursuits, and to inspire the birth of a new urban civilization.


Quzhou, China

Sports Infrastructure

Quzhou Sports Park

Situated on the site of a traditional siheyuan courtyard dating back to 1725, Courtyard Kindergarten inserts a new building onto the historic site, forming a multi-layered urban narrative where old and new co-exist.

There is a saying in old Beijing: ‘three days without beating, and the child will scale the roof and rip off the tiles!’ Somehow, it describes the freedom of climbing up high and running on the roof hat children picture. MAD imagines the rooftop as a dynamic floating structure – a colourful playground, a magical place and an escape for children. Below the roof, the kindergarten’s open-concept layout serves multiple functions, offering a free and inclusive environment, with no boundaries or obstacles.

In its entirety, Courtyard Kindergarten merges seemingly conflicting architectural elements with the new design. It retains the authenticity of the original buildings, while creating new interaction between the old and the new. It offers children an understanding of history and space, preserving their inborn passion for freedom and pure imagination.


Beijing, China

Education

YueCheng Courtyard Kindergarten

Its organic, fluid shape resembles an imaginary marine creature with openings of various sizes that add to the mystery and narrative of the architecture, therefore further evokes the he audience’s imagination and desire to explore.

To accomplish the complex construction process and to precisely present the fluid shape, the building adopts CNC models to fabricate the building. The overhanging structure also displays an anti-gravity, lithesome posture.

The building consists of two parts: a 1097 sqm reading space that could store tens of thousands of books, which comprises a café, a reading area and a rooftop terrace providing a tranquil resting space; the 300 sqm public communal area includes a bicycle parking lot, a drinking area, bathrooms and lavatories, serving for the tourists’ convenience.


Haikou, China

The Cloudscape of Haikou

Embedded within Harbin’s wetlands, Harbin Opera House is an abstraction of its natural surroundings. Inspired by the powerful aura of the Songhua River, it responds to the force and spirit of the northern Chinese city’s untamed wilderness, frigid climate, and rich musical history.

The building references the sinuous landscape that surrounds it, as if it has been sculpted by wind and water. Emphasizing public interaction and participation, the opera house welcomes both ticketholders and the public to explore pathways carved into its facade and ascend the building as if traversing the local topography. The grand theater emulates a wooden block that has been delicately eroded away. The presence of nature is carried out inside through a subtle skylight that visually connects the audience to the exterior, and the passing of time.


Harbin, China

Jordan Kanter, Daniel Gillen, Bas van Wylick, Liu Huiying, Fu Changrui, Zhao Wei, Kin Li ,Zheng Fang, Julian Sattler, Jackob Beer, J Travis Russett, Sohith Perera, Colby Thomas Suter, Yu Kui, Philippe Brysse, Huang Wei, Flora Lee, Wang Wei, Xie Yibang, Lyo Hengliu, Alexander Cornelius, Alex Gornelius, Mao Beihong, Gianantonio Bongiorno, Jei Kim, Chen Yuanyu, Yu Haochen, Qin Lichao, Pil-Sun Ham, Mingyu Seol, Lin Guomin, Zhang Haixia, Li Guangchong, Wilson Wu, Ma Ning, Davide Signorato, Nick Tran, Xiang Ling, Gustavo Alfred Van Staveren, Yang Jie

Harbin Songbei Investment and Development Group Co., Ltd.

Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD) Institute No.3

Inhabit Group, China Jingye Engineering Co., Ltd.

Gehry Technologies Co., Ltd.

Beijing Turenscape Institute

MAD, Shenzhen Keyuan Construction Group Co., Ltd.

Harbin Weimeiyuan Decoration Design Co., Ltd.

Acoustic and Theater Special Design & Research Studio of East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI)

China International Engineering Design & Consult Co., Ltd.

Beijing New Era Architectural Design Ltd.

Shenzhen Freesigns Signage Co., Ltd.

Harbin Opera House

The Absolute Towers nicknamed the “Marilyn Monroe Towers” represent a departure from conventional high-rise design. Rather than emphasizing vertical lines, the towers feature smooth, continuous balconies that spiral around the façade, creating a sense of motion and fluidity. Each floor rotates slightly in response to surrounding views, offering residents unique perspectives of the sky, city, and landscape.

This organic form reflects our ongoing inquiry into how architecture can reconnect people with nature in dense urban environments. Instead of conforming to modernism’s machine-like logic, the design embraces complexity, emotion, and environmental awareness. The towers aim to redefine the skyline not through height alone, but through softness, rhythm, and presence.

The result is a landmark that transforms a suburban intersection into a new urban center an iconic statement of identity for Mississauga, and an architectural experience that engages both body and spirit.

Toronto, Canada

Residential

Absolute Tower

Absolute Towers

Jiaxing Train Station is a transportation infrastructure project located in the center of Jiaxing, a historic city southwest of Shanghai. The station rethinks conventional transit models by combining infrastructure with public space, culture, and nature.

At the heart of the site is a reconstructed version of the original 1907 station house, recreated using historical archives and local materials. This historic building is paired with a floating metal canopy and a sunken transportation hub, where platforms, waiting areas, and circulation are placed underground to free the surface for public use.

Above ground, the design extends an existing park, adding over 1,500 trees and a central lawn surrounded by low-rise buildings that house commercial and cultural programs. These spaces appear as sculpted green hills, offering open areas for public events. The entry plaza and gardens blend civic life with nature, turning the train station into a destination beyond transit.

The station design emphasizes human scale, ecological sensitivity, and integration with the city’s existing urban fabric. By combining transport with landscape and community functions, Jiaxing Train Station proposes a new model for future urban infrastructure.



Jiaxing, China

Adaptive Reuse

Jiaxing Train Station

“Clover House” is MAD’s first completed project in Japan. Clients Kentaro and Tamaki Nara would like to expand their school, and Clover House is where the clients’ school began as a humble operation from inside their family home. MAD proposed to retain aspects of the two-storey family home, and dynamically transform it into a fully developed educational institution.

The original wood structure are recycled and incorporated into the new design. Visibly present throughout the main learning area, a dynamic interior of translucent and enclosed spaces is formed to adapt to different teaching activities. Intimate spaces that create private and public in-between areas are formed, while windows are shaped in various geometries recognizable to the child’s eye, allowing sunlight to sift through and create an ever-changing play of shadows that encourage students’ curiosity and imagination. Clover House is constructed from a child’s point of view.

The new design’s skin wraps the old wooden structure like a piece of cloth, creating a blurry space between the new and the old – a pure white canvas of individuality that resembles a magical cave or a pop-up fort.


Okazaki, Japan

Clover House

Hutong Bubble 32 is our first built prototype from its Beijing 2050 vision, originally presented at the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale. The concept reimagines Beijing’s rapid urban development through micro-scale interventions that preserve and adapt the historic hutong neighborhoods, rather than replacing them with large-scale developments.

Amid ongoing demolition and neglect of old Beijing’s alleyway districts, Hutong Bubble 32 offers a functional yet symbolic insertion into the decaying urban fabric. Installed in a small courtyard, the bubble houses a toilet and staircase leading to a rooftop terrace. It is designed not as a standalone object, but as an extension of community life, encouraging new uses and social interactions.

Its smooth, mirrored surface reflects the traditional wood, brick, and greenery of the courtyard, creating a contrast between old and new while visually blending into its surroundings. Rather than displacing existing residents or history, the bubble coexists with them, catalyzing neighborhood revitalization.

These bubbles are intended to gradually form a network of architectural “membranes” that reactivate the city’s cultural core. Hutong Bubble 32 is a small but powerful gesture, emphasizing that meaningful urban progress can happen through intimate, community-focused design.


Hutong Bubble 32

Baiziwan Social Housing is an affordable housing project in Beijing. Located near the CBD, the project provides 4,000 rental units across 12 buildings and is designed to support diverse groups, including young professionals, seniors, and welfare-dependent residents. As a response to China’s growing urban housing challenges, Baiziwan rethinks public housing through a human-centered, sustainable approach.

Breaking away from the closed superblock model common in Chinese urban planning, we divided the site into six smaller blocks organized along a central public avenue. This creates an open, walkable neighborhood, with shops, cafes, kindergartens, and elderly care services at the street level to foster urban vitality.

Above the ground floor, a resident-only “floating garden” spans the second level, offering interconnected roof parks with gyms, playgrounds, and gardens creating a multi-layered public realm that integrates nature and community life. Across the site, stepped Y-shaped building forms enhance daylight access for all units, while north-facing corridors reduce thermal loss.

Over 80% of construction is prefabricated to reduce waste and improve build quality. Two buildings meet passive house standards, cutting energy use by 90%. With 47% green coverage, flexible unit layouts, and sustainable infrastructure, Baiziwan sets a new benchmark for social housing in China.

The project reflects our long-term research into social housing, advocating for a new model that centers on people, nature, and social integration.



Baiziwan Social Housing

One River North introduces a new approach to urban living, integrating nature into the heart of Denver’s River North Art District. A carved canyon runs through the 16-story glass facade, creating a vertical landscape that immerses residents in a natural experience inspired by Colorado’s foothills and canyons.

The canyon trail, spanning from the sixth to the ninth floor, features over 13,000 square feet of landscaped terraces, water elements, and gathering spaces designed to foster community and well-being. This organic intervention contrasts with the building’s geometric form, blending indoor and outdoor environments. The landscape evolves with the seasons, reinforcing a connection to the region’s natural beauty.

The development includes 187 rental units and 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail that integrates with the surrounding streetscape. A rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver’s skyline, featuring a pool, spa, and garden inspired by alpine landscapes.

Certified by Fitwel, One River North prioritizes physical and mental well-being through thoughtful design. It redefines mixed-use development by merging nature, lifestyle, and community within an urban setting.

Denver, USA

Jon Kontuly, Peng Xie, Edwin Cho, Horace Hou, Yunfei Qiu, Evan Shaner, Shawna Chengxiang Meng

The MAX Collaborative

The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Zakhem Real Estate Group

Davis Partnership Architects

Saunders Construction

The Interior Studio at Davis Partnership Architects

Jirsa Hedrick

ME Engineers

Kimley-Horn

Iwan Baan, Parrish Ruiz De Velasco and Vic Ryan

One River North 

UNIC is located in Clichy-Batignolles, a mixed-use eco-district in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, the project integrates nature, light, and community into a high-density urban context.

Facing Martin Luther King Park, UNIC features expansive balconies that extend green space vertically, giving each unit semi-private outdoor areas and unobstructed views including the Eiffel Tower on upper levels. Its sinuous, tapering form contrasts with the city’s traditional Haussmann-style buildings and introduces a new residential typology centered on openness, light, and nature.

The building connects directly to metro infrastructure and with an adjacent public housing project, creating a diverse socio-economic community. At its base, public amenities such as retail, kindergartens, and restaurants strengthen neighborhood ties.

UNIC was the product of years of collaboration with city officials, planners, and residents. Through a participatory process, We helped shape a vision of future Parisian living one that prioritizes social inclusion, sustainable growth, and a redefined relationship between people and nature.


Paris, France

UNIC

Gardenhouse is a mixed-use development that reimagines urban living by merging architecture with nature. The project consists of 18 residential units above ground-floor commercial space, forming a “hillside village” that emerges from one of the largest living green walls in the U.S.

The facade is planted with native, drought-tolerant species that reduce irrigation needs and create a textured, organic presence on Wilshire Boulevard. Above, a cluster of white, pitched-roof volumes with irregular windows evoke the hills of Los Angeles while providing varied housing typologies studios, condominiums, townhouses, and villas.

Each unit has its own entrance and private outdoor space, enhancing individuality and community. A central second-floor courtyard acts as a shared “secret garden,” designed for privacy and interaction.

The ground-floor entry along Stanley Drive is envisioned as a carved “cave” leading residents on a sensory journey of light, shadow, and water before opening up to a landscaped patio.

Gardenhouse challenges the standard apartment block, proposing a nature-infused alternative that prioritizes harmony between people, architecture, and the environment.



Gardenhouse

The permanent venue of the ZGC Forum Conference Center is located in the core area of Zhongguancun, Haidian District, adjacent to Yuquan Mountain, Summer Palace, Old Summer Palace, Peking University, Tsinghua University, etc., covering an area of 5.9 hectares.

Three Mountains and Five Gardens is a historical and cultural highland where nature and architecture were harmonized to a very high level in modern China. It has nourished and influenced Beijing from modern times to the present. The permanent venue hopes to establish its key role in the planning from multiple dimensions: at the technological level, it uses an open and imaginative space atmosphere to show the innovative vision carried by the venue; at the cultural level, it uses a humble attitude and the unique history and uniqueness of the site. Echoing the natural background; the green aspect becomes a new urban public space open to the city and community, and accessible to everyone.


ZGC Forum Conference Center

Perched in the snow-covered mountains of Northeastern China, the Yabuli Entrepreneurs’ Congress Center is our vision of a dynamic space for innovation and exchange. Designed for the Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum (CEF), one of China’s most influential business organizations, this center is a permanent home for their annual summits.

Inspired by the natural landscape, we envisioned a structure that feels like a tent at the foot of a mountain, blending seamlessly with its surroundings. Its soft, silver-white rooftop mirrors the snow-capped peaks. At the same time, a central skylight floods the interiors with natural light during the day and glows warmly at night, evoking a campfire where entrepreneurs gather to share ideas. Inside, wood-paneled walls and panoramic views create a warm, immersive experience.

Beyond hosting large-scale conferences, the center is designed as a versatile hub featuring an exhibition hall, meeting rooms, and a television hall to foster business dialogue, corporate training, and public engagement. More than just a building, the Yabuli Entrepreneurs’ Congress Center embodies the boldness and vision of China’s top entrepreneurs, marking a new chapter for global business exchange.

Yabuli, China

Site Area

Building Area 

Building Height

Li Guangchong, Sun Shouquan, Deng Wei, Song Chi, Zhang Xiaomei, Huai Wei, Zhao Meng, Wang Shuobin, Zhang Yanru, Yuki Ishigami, Xiao Ying, Tian Jin

China Entrepreneur Forum

China Architecture Design & Research Group

RFR Shanghai, Kighton Façade Consultant

BJF International Design

Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Decoration & Landscape Design Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Brandston Partnership Inc.

Dongdao Creative Branding Group

Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute

AECOM Beijing

Yabuli Entrepreneurs Congress Center

Anji, a town named “the home of bamboo” and “the home of white tea” in China, is notable for its natural environemnt. Located in the core area of the new zone of Anji, Zhejiang Province, the Anji Culture and Art Center will be a future urban meeting room that meets culture, art, education and nature. The six venues - a grand theater, a conference center, a cultural center, a workers cultural center, a youth activity center, and art training center - are spreaded under the undulating hill of tea fields and the “bamboo leaf” roof.

The design is laid out with the visual corridors on both sides of the strait as the axis: the center of the site is not occupied by huge buildings. The central axis corridor has become an open outdoor platform, providing citizens with space for activities and viewing. The Linxi Stage on the west side of the axis can be used as an outdoor performance, concert and exhibition venue. At the high point of the site, there are many bamboo leaves scattered randomly, layered and scattered, covering the tea field. The staggered gaps in the “leaves” allow skylight to enter the interior, making the indoor space brighter and also optimizing the energy-saving performance of the building. The main facade of the self-supporting folded all-glass curtain wall is highly transparent and can reach a maximum of 17 meters. It is the highest self-supporting all-glass curtain wall in China to date.


Anji, China

Anji Culture and Art Center

Nanhai Art Center consists of three cultural venues including the Grand Theater, Museum, and Sports Center. After the overall completion, it will become the core hub of the waterfront on both sides of the river in Foshan, providing the citizens with a high-quality urban waterfront public space with cultural, artistic and natural attributes, and becoming the new city portal living room.

Looking at the site from a distance, the Nanhai Art Center looks like continuous ripples by the lake, with three main building bodies vaguely visible under the floating sunshade canopy. Semi-outdoor gray spaces of various forms interact with the central lake landscape and architectural functions. Citizens can choose different paths to walk on the roof, observe and experience the scenery.

The design takes the central axis of Qiandeng Lake as the axis. The sports center, grand theater and museum are arranged on both sides and become part of the axis.

Foshan, China

Zhang Ying

Yoshio Fukumori

Zhou Rui

Peng Wanjing

Ma Yiran

Hao Ming

Shanghai Test Design Company

Nanhai Art Center

Chaoyang Park Plaza is located on the southern edge of Beijing’s Chaoyang Park. Inspired by traditional Chinese Shanshui paintings, the project introduces natural forms into the urban core, creating a spatial experience that merges city and landscape.

The development includes a group of ten buildings that evoke imagery of mountains, valleys, rocks, and water. Twin office towers rise like peaks beside the park’s lake, linked by a transparent atrium. Low-rise commercial buildings resemble eroded stones, arranged to form a quiet garden space. Armani apartment buildings feature staggered balconies that open residents to natural light and park views.

With curved black-and-white forms, the architecture reflects the layered tones of Chinese ink paintings. Pine trees, bamboo, rocks, and ponds are woven throughout the site, grounding the project in Eastern spatial traditions.

Functional systems are integrated into the design, including vertical fins that support natural ventilation and a cooling pond at the base of the towers. The project has earned LEED Gold certification for its energy-efficient strategies.



Mixed Use

Chaoyang Park Plaza

Lishui, a “forest city” in southwest Zhejiang Province, is renowned for its lush greenery and valleys. Its first airport is positioned as a domestic regional airport with an anticipated annual passenger throughput of one million, located in the hilly terrain that 15 kilometers southwest of the city. The planning and design try to respect the original site while ensuring accessibility, highlighting the characteristics of a mountain airport, and aiming to inspire tourism.

Covering 2,267 hectares of land with a maximum fill height difference of nearly 100 meters, the airport adopts a large silver-white overhanging roof resembling a white-feathered bird ready to soar. The bird-like form absorbs the elevation changes and merges the airport into the mountains, making the airport a spiritual landmark in the region.

Lishui, China

Infrastructure

LIJ Airport

The Jiaxing Civic Center is designed as a seamless integration of architecture and nature, creating a public space that encourages connection and engagement. Located near South Lake and Central Park, the project brings together three main venues: the Science and Technology Museum, the Women and Children Activity Center, and the Youth Activity Center. These buildings are linked under a continuous roof that forms a unified structure, reflecting the fluidity of Jiaxing’s historic canal towns.

At the center of the project, a large circular lawn provides space for gatherings, events, and daily activities. The ground floor opens in all directions, connecting to surrounding parklands and creating a natural flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. Landscaped terraces and elevated pathways extend the experience beyond the buildings, offering areas for movement and rest.

The design incorporates locally produced white ceramic panels, referencing traditional barrel tile roofs while improving energy efficiency. Floor-to-ceiling glass enhances transparency, allowing light to shape the interaction between built and natural elements. A cascading terrace facing the central lawn creates layered spaces that balance openness with shelter.


Civic

Yin Jianfeng, Alessandro Fisalli, Fu Xiaoyi, Chen-Hsiang Chao, He Yiming, Thoufeeq Ahmed, Chen Hao, He Xiaowen, Zhang Yaohui, Guo Xuan, Edgar Navarrete, Claudia Hertrich, Deng Wei, Zhang Xiaomei, Chen Nianhai, Li Cunhao, Sun Feifei, Punnin Sukkasem, Manchi Yeung, Li Yingzhou

Jiaxing Highway Investment Co., Ltd.

East China Architectural Design & Research Institute, Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.

RFR Shanghai

Earthasia Design Group, Yong-High Landscape Design Consulting Co.Ltd

Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Decoration & Landscape Design Research Institute CO., Ltd

Nippon Design Center, Inc.

Beijing Sign Lighting Industry Group

Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.

Jiaxing Civic Center

Yiwu, well recognized in international trade, is a representative of Jiangnan culture. Located on the south bank of the Dongyang River, Yiwu Grand Theater elegantly floats on the water’s surface in a romantic atmosphere. It is defined by a layering of semi-transparent glass canopies that resembles the texture of silk. The subtle curves echo the Jiangnan-style eaves of local traditional architectures. The semi-transparent glass curtain wall not only acts as a shading system, but also optimizes the use of natural light within the interior.

Yiwu Grand Theater emphasizes public engagement: it allows pedestrians to meander along the north side of the water. An amphitheater and large open plaza extend into the water, while landscaped terraces offer an immersive natural experience within the urban context. Between the grand theater and the conference center lies a “valley” of trees. The rich landscaping weaves itself between the varying heights of the two buildings, providing another public space for visitors to explore.

Yiwu, China

Yiwu Grand Theater

Cloud 9 Sports Center is a public sports and recreation facility located within Shijiazhuang’s newly redeveloped Central Business District. Positioned inside the city’s central park, the project is designed to serve as an extension of the park itself merging architecture, landscape, and public life into a cohesive whole.

The building is wrapped in a translucent, reflective skin that gives it a cloud-like appearance, allowing it to blend into its green surroundings. Rather than functioning solely as a gym or sports venue, the center introduces open and accessible spaces such as sloped lawns, outdoor courts, and viewing terraces that invite broader public use beyond athletic activity.

MAD reimagines the relationship between the building and the environment, using elevated platforms and layered circulation to create a porous structure that encourages movement and engagement. Interior programs are surrounded by natural light and framed views, with rooftop spaces offering immersive experiences of the surrounding cityscape.

By dissolving the boundary between the park and the building, Cloud Sports Center becomes both a recreational anchor and a public gathering space connecting people with nature, activity, and one another in the heart of the city.



Shijiazhuang, China

Cloud 9 Sports Center

Tencent’s Shenzhen headquarters, Lot 04 East, is designed as a forward-thinking, low-carbon technology campus that prioritizes sustainability, accessibility, and human-centered design. The project introduces a series of biomorphic office towers and interconnected structures that seamlessly integrate with the surrounding landscape, fostering a dynamic and collaborative environment.

The design creates a fluid connection between architecture and nature, with elevated ground floors that enhance openness and transparency. Expansive glass facades blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces, encouraging natural light, social interaction, and engagement with the surrounding environment. The site is further enriched by green spaces, pedestrian-friendly zones, and multi-level public areas that enhance connectivity and well-being.

With a focus on ecological responsibility, the project balances innovation with environmental consciousness, setting a new standard for sustainable urban development. Positioned at the intersection of technology and design, Tencent’s headquarters reimagines the modern workplace as a vibrant, interconnected hub for collaboration and creativity.


Antoine Muller, Wang Shuobin, Ma Yiran, Yin Jianfeng, Claudia Hertrich, Jose Maria Urbiola, Reinier Simons, Fu Xiaoyi, Zhu Yuhao, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Zhou Haimeng, Li Hui

Liu Hailun, Fu Xiaoyi, Zeng Hantao, Sun Yingna, Liu Zifan, Song Minzhe, Zhao Guijia, Jose Maria Urbiola, Tan Miao, Rozita Kashirtseva, Li Jiaqi, Antoine Muller, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Yu Lin, Feng Xuhui, Zhang Kai, Wu Qiaoling, Yang Wenzhi, Chen Hongbin, Hou Jinghui, Sun Feifei, Wang Ruipeng, Yoshio Fukumori, Li Lingfeng, Yin Jianfeng, Zhou Qinyuan, Cheng Xiangju, Du Jie, Na Kyung Eun

Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design And Research Co., Ltd.

China Construction 4th Engineering Bureau 6th Corp., Limited

Arcadis Shanghai Limited

Meinhardt (Shenzhen) Ltd.

SuP Ingenieure GmbH, Shenzhen Fangda Building Technology Group Co., Ltd., China Construction Buer Curtain Wall & Decoration Co., Ltd.

MAD, Woods Bagot Architectural Design Consultants (Beijing) Co Ltd., Shenzhen Jiang & Associates Creative Design, China Academy of Building Research

Lighting Planners Associates Inc. & Lighting Planners Associates (S) Pte. Ltd., China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD)

SWA Group, Shenzhen Hope Design Co., Ltd.

Brand U Creative Studio Shanghai Co.

T. Y. Lin International Engineering Consulting (China) Co. Ltd.

GRANDY Engineering Consultants (Shanghai) Ltd.

Shenzhen Champion Retail Operation Management Co., Ltd.

WSP Engineering Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

AtkinsRéalis

Shenzhen Institute of Building Research Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen Jiarui Construction Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Tencent Shenzhen Headquarters

Located on Haikou’s west coast, surrounded by sports stadiums and a National Wetland Park, the museum draws from the site’s dual urban and natural context, one where a “primeval rainforest and technology of the future meet.” Set against the backdrop of a rich tropical rainforest, the museum’s main pavilion is shaped like a cloud in dialogue with nature.

Encompassing a total area of 46,528 square meters, the museum will feature 27,782 square meters of above-ground facilities including permanent exhibition space, a planetarium, a giant-screen theater, and a flying theater. The museum’s interior structure consists of three floor-to-ceiling cores, curved trusses, spiral ramps, and a roof, all exposed to achieve harmony between the architectural forms and structural system. A skylight in the museum’s dome bathes the spacious atrium in natural light, creating a bright and transparent environment. A spiraling, sloping exhibition space ascends from the central hall over five floors, connecting visitors across the museum.

The exhibition experience begins on the fifth floor, where the elevator opens to a 360-degree viewing platform with the sea and cityscape visible in the distance. Visitors on this uppermost floor will begin by exploring the technology and space galleries before proceeding down the ramp to the ocean and life science galleries on the fourth floor, the math and science galleries on the third floor, and the multimedia interactive experience area and children’s playground on the second floor. As visitors travel down the ramp, they can simultaneously enjoy the scenery and the exhibitions, and a gallery running alongside the ramp extends the viewing experience.

Building Area

Above Ground

Underground

Hainan Science and Technology Museum

The Ark is a renovation of the former Wanmicang warehouse at the Zhangjiang Cement Factory in Shanghai. The design preserves the industrial legacy of the site while transforming it into a public, multifunctional waterfront hub for culture, creativity, and commerce.

Built-in 1971, the factory played a key role in Shanghai’s urban development for decades. MAD’s approach retains the original concrete structure and inserts a lightweight, ark-like metal volume above, creating a dialogue between the past and the future. The rough textures of the old warehouse contrast with the smooth, reflective metal form above, reactivating the building as a contemporary public “living room.”

A full-height glass curtain wall separates the old and new elements, allowing natural light to flood the space. Interior tiered gardens and open commercial programs animate the preserved industrial shell. A central corridor connects the urban plaza to the riverfront, and a new bridge extends public access across the river.

The rooftop doubles as an open terrace overlooking the Chuanyang River. Structural reinforcements and modern interventions ensure both visual lightness and historical integrity.


Shanghai, China

The Ark

Hutong Bubble 218 is the second small-scale intervention in Beijing’s historic neighborhoods. Located in Qianmen East, near the Forbidden City, the project restores and transforms a Qing Dynasty courtyard house as part of the Old City Renewal Research Program.

The site once housed Beijing’s first international hospital and later served as communal housing. Years of unregulated modifications led to severe structural decline and vacancy. We preserved the courtyard’s historic gray brick structure and restored original wooden elements while introducing futuristic sculptural additions called “bubbles.”

The mirrored bubbles, one connecting floors as a staircase and shared workspace, and another perched on the rooftop, contrast the old architecture while blending into the surroundings by reflecting sky, trees, and buildings. These surreal additions serve new functions while maintaining harmony with the courtyard’s original character.

“Hutong Bubble 218” continues MAD’s vision from Beijing 2050 a proposal to inject life into aging urban fabric through micro-scale architectural interventions. Rather than erase history, the design encourages coexistence between old and new, revitalizing neglected areas with fresh energy and community potential.


Hutong Bubble 218

Located at the south side of the Workers Stadium East Gate in Beijing’s Central Business District, the concert hall covers a site of 11,600 sqm, and has a total floor area of 26,587 sqm.

The 1,600-seat main concert hall is laid out in a vineyard style, with the seating surrounding the stage; rising up in serried rows in the manner of the sloping terraces. Its wooden lakes organically surround the stage while the white sound reflection petals on the ceiling are designed to resemble the segments of a lotus flower. The natural light coming from above will make audience members feel as if they are in the center of a blooming flower. Lighting and visualizations can be projected onto the white petals and choreographed to match the musical performances. MAD has created an abstracted space that allows the audiences to escape from the city and retreat into various sceneries.

Adjacent to the lotus pond on the south side of the building is a 400-seat rehearsal hall. The interior is made of curved wooden walls designed for an optimal musical experience. The adjustable sound reflection panel behind the stage can be raised to bring natural light and views of the landscape into the space. The building also includes a professional recording studio, a library, a collection gallery, offices, rehearsal rooms, and other auxiliary function spaces.

Rooted in Eastern philosophy, the China Philharmonic Hall aims to create a new formula for concert hall design and introduce a space within the busy city that promotes conversations between people, nature, and music.



Kin Li, Liu Huiying, Fu Xiaoyi, Brecht Van Acker, Zeng Hao, Li Guangchong, Jacob Hu, Xiao Ying, Dora Lam, Zhao Wei, Shen Chen, Dmitry Seregin, Zhu Jinglu, Yukan Yanagawa, Wang Deyuan, Hiroki Fujino, Zheng Fang, Sear Nee

China Philharmonic Orchestra

Nagata Acoustics

Radio Film & Television Design & Research Institute (DRFT)

China Construction International (Shenzhen) Design Consultant Co., Ltd.

RFR Asia

SIGN Lighting

Beijing Honggao Interior Design Co., Ltd.

Palm Design Co., Ltd.

Beijing Homedale Institute of Urban Planning & Architectural Design

China Philharmonic Concert Hall

Influenced by Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, MAD envisioned a mysterious abstract form capable of fostering an alternate, timeless development of Chinese tradition and future. Whilst the surface of this shape functions as a metal container critical to protect the interior from the harsh winters and frequent sand storms of the region, metaphorically this external layer operates as a shield protecting the precious culture and history of the city from the unknown growth of the city. The museum appears to float over a waving sand hill, a gesture saluting the landscapes which have now been supplanted by the streets and buildings of the new cityscape. This plaza is now a favorite amongst the locals who gather their families and friends to explore, play or lounge in the pleasant landscape.

Entering the museum presents visitors with a strong contrast to the exterior: an airy monumental cave flushed with natural light through skylights. The cave links to a canyon which carves out a void between the galleries and exhibition hall and is brightly illuminated at the top. Patrons maneuver along the base of these primitive surroundings and through the light across mid-air tectonic bridges, reminiscent of the intersection of the past and the future of the Gobi landscape. Visitors will repeatedly cross these sky bridges and reflect upon their journey from a variety of picturesque vantages. The local community, as well, is encouraged to pass through the base of the central canyon which connects the two public entries at opposite ends without entering the exhibition hall or galleries. The varying internalized flows of circulation are guided by a succession of light and shadow, at times mysteriously shaded and occasionally brilliantly bright yet consistently engaging. For the museum employees, a south facing, naturally lit interior garden is shared by the office and research programmes of the museum, creating a natural work environment.

The completion of the museum has provided the local citizens a place to embrace and reflect upon the fast paced development of their city. People meet organically in the naturalistic landscapes of the museum, an intersection of natural and human development.


Ordos, China

Shang Li, Andrew C. Bryant, Howard Jiho Kim, Matthias Helmreich, Xiang Ling, Linda Stannieder, Zheng Tao, Qin Lichao, Sun Jieming, Yin Zhao, Du Zhijian, Yuan Zhongwei, Yuan Ta, Xie Xinyu, Liu Weiwei, Felipe Escudero, Sophia Tang, Diego Perez, Art Terry, J Travis Russett, Dustin Harris

China Institute of Building Standard Design & Research

The Institute of Shanxi Architectural Design and Research

SuP Ingenieure GmbH, Melendez & Dickinson Architects

Huhehaote construction Co., Ltd

Zhuhai King Glass Engineering CO.LTD

Ordos Museum

Cloud Center is a multi-purpose cultural venue for Aranya, a seaside arts community in Qinhuangdao, China. Located near the Beidaihe coastline, the building is conceived as a “floating cloud by the sea,” blending architecture with landscape and sky.

The structure houses a theater, exhibition hall, and press room within a flexible, open interior. Its cloud-like form is created through sweeping structural overhangs, with the largest extending 30 meters. These overhangs make the white mass appear to float above a transparent ground floor. A central core supports the structure, allowing for a column-free interior and adaptable event space.

The façade is made of hyperbolic white stained glass, giving the building a soft, reflective presence that changes with the light. Skylights bring natural light into the swirling ceiling of the main space, supporting both energy efficiency and the atmosphere.

A circular white stone garden surrounds the building, evoking a surreal, cosmic landscape. Pools and reflective surfaces blur the line between architecture and nature, creating a peaceful, otherworldly setting.



Aranya, China

Public

Aranya Cloud Center

We strive to create uncompromising visions

We strive to create uncompromising visions

MAD Updates

MAD Updates