MAD works in forward-looking environments developing futuristic architectures based on a contemporary interpretation of the eastern spirit of nature. All of MAD's projects - from residential complexes or offices to cultural centres - desire to protect a sense of community and orientation toward nature, offering people the freedom to develop their own experience. Founded in 2004 by Ma Yansong, the office first earned worldwide attention in 2006 by winning an international competition to design a residential tower near Toronto, expected to be completed in the summer of 2012.
MAD has been commissioned by clients of all backgrounds, leading to an intriguing combination of diverse project designs. MAD’s ongoing projects include two major cultural projects in Harbin: the China Wood Sculpture Museum and Harbin Culture Island, an opera house and cultural center that will retain the original wetlands as an urban park between the old and new city. Additionally, MAD is designing the headquarter of a major fashion brand in Xiamen. MAD’s residential projects strive for a symbiotic relationship between man, shelter and nature. The Huangshan residential villas is design to nestle into its natural landscapes, whilst the Qingdao private residential courtyard draws inspiration from the experience of a traditional Chinese flaneur and the beauty and emotions developed through meandering across the natural landscape. MAD has several projects underway ranging from conceptual design to construction phases around the world. Internationally, MAD is designing a residential development in the heart of Rome, a mix use development in Amsterdam and the aforementioned Absolute Tower in Toronto, now nearing completion.
MAD recently completed their first museum in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. It is a futuristic shell that protects the cultural history of the region and refutes the rational new city outside. Previous completed projects include the Hutong Bubble 32, a small scale intervention inside the delicate urban tissue of old Beijing, and Hongluo clubhouse, a fluid space without internal boundaries that rises from Hongluo Lake.
MAD is led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun and Yosuke Hayano. They have been awarded the Young Architecture Award from the New York Institute of Architects in 2006 and the 2011 RIBA international fellowship.
