Tiffany Dahlen, graduated from School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, joined MAD in 2010. Demonstrating a high level of professionalism and efficiency, she has proven to be an excellent project manager. Leading competitions and built projects both in China and abroad, she has experience working on complex large-scale projects in dense urban conditions. Currently Tiffany leads the development of the Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, and has worked on a number of MAD’s iconic projects, such as the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in LA, Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center, Chaoyang Park Plaza in Beijing, Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, Huangshan Mountain Village in Huangshan, and Xinhee Design Center in Xiamen. She has also been involved in the realization of several MAD art projects, including: “Moon Landscape” for Swarovski and the “Vertu Mobile Pavilion”.

Los Angeles Office

Tiffany Dahlen, graduated from School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, joined MAD in 2010. Demonstrating a high level of professionalism and efficiency, she has proven to be an excellent project manager.  Leading competitions and built projects both in China and abroad, she has experience working on complex large-scale projects in dense urban conditions. Currently Tiffany leads the development of the Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, and has worked on a number of MAD’s iconic projects, such as the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in LA, Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center, Chaoyang Park Plaza in Beijing, Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, Huangshan Mountain Village in Huangshan, and Xinhee Design Center in Xiamen. She has also been involved in the realization of several MAD art projects, including: “Moon Landscape” for Swarovski and the “Vertu Mobile Pavilion”.

MAD was invited to design the Aquatic Center for the 2024 Paris Olympics in collaboration with Jacques Rougerie Architecture, Atelier Phileas, and Apma Architecture.

Located in Saint-Denis, adjacent to Stade de France, the center is one of only two new permanent venues for Paris 2024. It is connected to the stadium by a pedestrian bridge over a major roadway, forming a key urban link.

The design envisions the facility as a sculptural public artwork light, fluid, and responsive to the sky and city. Its curving, translucent form appears to float, shifting with sunlight like ripples on water. The structure accommodates 5,000 spectators during the Games and is designed to downsize post-Olympics, ensuring long-term usability.

Sustainability is central to the design. Around 70% of the building is constructed from wood to reduce carbon footprint. Solar panels help offset energy use, and rainwater is collected for irrigation across 6,000 sqm of landscaping.

A translucent curtain wall brings in natural light and serves as a 360-degree projection surface. During the Games, it will broadcast live events and local multimedia art, turning the center into an engaging public space by day and night.

Paris, France

Sports Infrastructure

Paris Olympics Aquatic Center

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.

Haikou, China

Culture

Building Area

Above Ground

Underground

Hainan Science and Technology Museum

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

Appearing so evident amidst a thriving metropolitan district of Harbin, China, spanning 200 meters in length, the China Wood Sculpture Museum sits as a locational anomaly, seemingly out of place, surrounded by a densely populated Chinese-style neighborhood and residential complexes. The museum embodies some of the foremost conceptual and formal ideals that define the work of MAD, bringing out an expression and abstraction of nature to an otherwise quotidian surrounding. The boundaries between solid and liquid are blurred throughout this 13,000 sqm building, referencing the local natural scenery and landscape.

The building's exterior is covered by polished steel plates, mirroring the surroundings and the changing light. The solid walls ensure minimal heat loss while the breaking and twisting motion of the emerging skylights splits the surface and allows in light from the low-hanging sun of northern China; this provides sufficient natural diffused illumination to the three halls on the interior.

The museum mainly houses local wood sculptures as well as paintings depicting the ice and snow of the regional scenery. In the context of the large-scale modern urban setting, the museum itself serves as a new interpretation of nature. The surreal interaction between the museum and the city breaks through the tedium of the urban shell, revitalizing the surroundings with a new cultural feature.


Harbin, China

Yu Kui, Daniel Gillen, Bas van Wylick, Diego Perez, Jordan Kanter, Liu Huiying, Huang Wei, Julian Sattler, Liu Weiwei, Tang Liu, Mao Peihong, Maria Alejandra Obregon, Nickolas Urano, Gus Chan, Shin Park, Alejandro Gonzalez

The Architectural Design and Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology 

Inhabit Group

Gehry Technologies

Zhejiang Jing Gong Steel Structure Co. Ltd.

Wood Sculpture Museum

Superstar: A Mobile China Town is a conceptual project first exhibited at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale in Uneternal City. It reimagines the traditional Chinatown model as a modern, self-sufficient, and mobile urban unit. The project challenges outdated representations of Chinese culture, rejecting nostalgic kitsch and fragmented development in favor of a cohesive, forward-looking environment.

Designed to host up to 15,000 people, the Superstar integrates cultural venues, housing, workshops, health resorts, food production systems, and sports facilities. It is fully self-sustaining growing its own food, recycling all waste, and operating independently from its host city. It includes spaces for creativity, learning, and collective memory, including a digital cemetery that honors the deceased.

More than a physical structure, the Superstar is described as a “benevolent virus,” injecting energy and innovation into the environments it temporarily inhabits. It can be deployed globally, acting as a cultural interface that exchanges new Chinese identity with local conditions.

The first imagined site is the outskirts of Rome, offering a contrast between the city’s ancient legacy and the Superstar’s dynamic future. This mobile Chinatown merges nature and technology, community and individuality, tradition and innovation, proposing a new model for global, adaptable urban living rooted in cultural authenticity.

Worldwide

Adaptive Reuse

Chen Shuyu, Zheng Tao, Fernie Lai, David William Nightingale, Matthias Werner Helmreich, Bryan Alan Oknyansky, Zach Hines, Tom James

Super Star

Niku Rug is our contribution to the Architecture for Dogs exhibition, curated by Kenya Hara. Designed for the Labrador Retriever, the rug responds to the breed’s loyalty, sociability, and need for close contact with its owner.

Shaped like a cut of meat niku meaning “meat” in Japanese the rug is a woolen, DIY pad featuring marbled patterns in three colors to mimic the look of real meat. Offered in three sizes, it adapts as the dog grows from puppy to adult. Unlike fixed dog kennels, Niku Rug is mobile and can be placed throughout the home, reinforcing Labrador’s role as a close family companion.

The design combines function and humor, transforming everyday pet furniture into a playful architectural object. It reflects MAD's interest in scale, material, and the emotional bond between living beings and space.


Beijing, China

Product

Jacob Hu, Felix Amiss

Hiroshi Yoda, Ding Yifei (Courtesy Shanghai Himalayas Museum), architecturefordogs.com

Niku Rug

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

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.


Shenzhen, China

Mixed Use

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

The overall site has a footprint of 177.6-hectare, and a total building area of nearly 270,000 square meters. The terminal building was designed to add a human-scaled space with a calming presence to the Airport, both from a distance and from within. As visitors approach from the high-speed rail “Longjia” Station or the parking structure, they will be greeted by the terminal’s unique fan-shaped profile that resembles a floating feather — a nod to the airplanes that will be ascending and descending from its terminals throughout the day.

By adopting a three-fingered corridor structure surrounded by arcs, the terminal will maintain an overall harmonious layout in its connections to the T1 and T2 terminal areas while increasing the number of passenger seats near the aircrafts. Upon entrance, passengers will encounter a large, uninterrupted ground floor that provides direct access to the subway, automobile road and other methods of transportation connecting the terminal to the larger site.

The terminal also reflects the charm of Changchun as a "Garden City'' through the creation of what the design team has referred to as a "garden airport." The exterior space area is characterized by forests, lakes, meadows, and undulating terrain, while the indoor garden system combines trees, ground covers, and water features to create a "cold zone garden" that reflects the local climate.

Natural light is brought into the departure hall through the feather-shaped roof to create a bright and warm interior space that provides much-needed sunlight to the garden spaces within. The structural system continues the rhythm of the building's skin to express the logic of force transmission, which converges toward the center together with the skylight, guiding the direction of passengers naturally. The unique wooden ceiling also combines with the structure, skylight and sunlight to create a dynamic interior space.

The terminal’s approach to green design at an intimate scale is a response to the timeless human need for connection to human and plant-life alike; all within a shape as light and airy as a feather floating in the breeze.


Changchun, China

Infrastructure

Changchun Airport T3

MAD, led by Ma Yansong, was commissioned by the Rotterdam, Netherlands-based Droom en Daad Foundation again, to make an initial design that turn the riverfront Provimi warehouse into a new cultural destination, the Danshuis (Dutch language for “the Dance House”). The project is intended to be equipped with professional dance studios, theaters, exhibition spaces to welcome dancers from all around the world to perform all kinds of dance freely.

Through this latest major cultural project, the Droom en Daad Foundation aims to make the city of Rotterdam a world leader through art and culture. The Danshuis transforms the old warehouse on the south bank of the Mas River Rotterdam into a symbol for freedom and pluralism. A vibrant place for the exchange of world dance culture, it will echo the adjacent "Fenix Museum of Migration," MAD’s first European cultural project, which together realize and strengthen the connection of the cultural fabric of the city.

In the Danshuis, people will feel the outdoors from within, the flow of dance and music in the process of watching and being watched, and the free transmission of art through tangible and intangible forms. "Dance is a flowing art of space. To emphasis that and respect the locality and history of the building, we decided to make minimum change to the original structure, just to add art installations in conversation with the environment” said Ma Yansong.“With this second commission from Droom en Daad Foundation, we hope to highlight Rotterdam's yearning for freedom and embracing of diverse global cultures. The Fenix Museum of Migration and the Danshuis are closely linked and will also look to the future together in Rotterdam's century-old port.”



Rotterdam, Netherlands

Danshuis