MAD is a multidisciplinary firm working across architecture, urbanism, and design  from large-scale cities and buildings to products, art, and fashion

Inspired by Nature, Driven by Innovation

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

Culture

Li Cunhao, Zhang Chao, Neeraj Mahajan, Sun Shouquan, Zhang Yaohui, Huang Jinkun, Maria Corella, Kenji Hada, Lin Zi Han, Yu Lin, Yan Ran, Chen Yi-en , Liu Hailun, Pittayapa Suriyapee, Lei Kaiyun, Alessandro Fisalli, Edgar Navarrete S., Haruka Tomoeda, Lu Zihao

East China Architectural Design and Research Institute 

 Arup Engineering Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Shenzhen Branch 

RFR (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 

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

Beijing NingXhiJing Lighting Design Co., Ltd. 

Kenya Hara (Nippon Design Center) 

Guangdong Qiyuan Architectural Engineering Design Institute Co., Ltd. 

Paimeng Transportation Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 

China Urban Development Institute Co., Ltd. 

MIR, Proloog

Guo Xuan

Shenzhen Bay Culture Park

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

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.


Beijing, China

Adaptive Reuse

Dai Pu, Yu Kui, Stefanie Helga Paul, He Wei, Shen Jianghai

Beijing Nade Environmental Art Design Co., Ltd.

Hutong Bubble 32

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.


Education

He Wei, Fu Changrui, Xiao Ying, Fu Xiaoyi, Chen Hungpin, Yin Jianfeng, Zhao Meng, Yang Xuebing, Kazushi Miyamoto, Dmitry Seregin, Zhang Long, Ben Yuqiang, Cao Xi, Ma Yue, Hiroki Fujino

Yuecheng Group

China Academy of Building Research

MAD, Supercloud Studio

MAD, ECOLAND Planning and Design Corporation

Lumia Lighting Design

Shanghai Siyou Metallic Materials Co., Ltd.

YueCheng Courtyard Kindergarten

Fenix 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

Alessandro Fisalli, Neeraj Mahajan, Marco Gastoldi, Edgar Navarrete, Cievanard Nattabowonphal, Jordan Demer, Chen Yien, Yuki Ishigami, Pittayapa Suriyapee, Claudia Hertrich, Gianluca Rovere, Antonio Laruffa, Nika Gasimbeyli, Paolo Pirri, Anna Spaggiari, Julian Salvadori, Giovanni Colombara, Edoardo D’Angelo

Droom en Daad Foundation

Bureau Polderman

IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs

CSM Steel Structures

Central Industry Group (CIG)

Beersnielsen Lichtontwerpers

Bosman Bedrijven

LBP Sight

Iwan Baan, Arch-Exist, Hufton+Crow

Fenix

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.



Tokamachi, Japan

Hiroki Fujino, Kazushi Miyamoto, Yuki Ishigami

Green sigma Co., Ltd.

Tunnel of Light

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

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

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

Yao Ran, Yu Lin, Cao Chen, Chen Nianhai, Cheng Xiangju, Reinier Simons, Fu Xiaoyi, Chen Wei, He Shunpeng, Li Zhengdong, Cao Xi, Zhang Kai, Li Xinyun, Kaushik Raghuraman, Deng Wei, Huang Zhiyu, Huai Wei, Sun Mingze, Dayie Wu, Hou Jinghui, Yin Jianfeng, Claudia Hertrich, Liu Zifan, Xie Qilin, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Qiang Siyang

Jiaxing Modern Service Industry Development & Investment (Group) Co., Ltd.

Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd., China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Shuishi Architectural Design & Planning Corp.,Ltd

Z’scape Landscape Planning and Design

Beijing Sign Lighting Industry Group

NDC CHINA, Inc.

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

LERA Consulting Structural Engineers

RFR Shanghai

China Railway Construction Engineering Group, China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group, China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Co., Ltd.

Jiaxing Train Station

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

Residential

One River North 

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

Fu Changrui, Zhao Wei, Li Guangchong, Lin Guomin, Bennet Hu Po-Kang, Nathan Kiatkulpiboone, Yang Jie, Julian Sattler, Younjin Park, Zhu Jinglu, Xue Yan, Zheng Fang, Matteo Vergano, Wing Lung Peng, Gustavo Maya, Li Yunlong, Tiffany Dahlen, Gustaaf Alfred Van Staveren

Smart-hero (HK) Investment Development Limited

CCDI Group

RFR Asia

RFR Asia, Sane Form Limited 

MADA s.p.a.m., Supercloud Studio

ARMANI/CASA Interior Design Studio

Kenya Hara + NDC China

Greentown Akin Landscape Architecture Co., Ltd.

M&W Lighting Limited

Beijing Junhao Lighting Design Co., Ltd

Shenzhen Institute of Building Research Co., Ltd.

Chaoyang Park Plaza

Featured Works

Fenix Museum Completion

Completion

Chinese Paper Umbrella

Installation

Ma Yansong: Architecture and Emotion

Exhibition

CO-EXIST: Pavilion of China Curated by Ma Yansong Opens

Architecture

Design

Our work spans

With offices in Beijing, Los Angeles, and Rome, MAD is powered by a team of over 150 architects and designers from more than 30 regions worldwide.

MAD Team