Architect Ma Yansong integrates nature and futuristic design
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Chinese architect Ma Yansong designs buildings intended to connect people with nature, most recently completing the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California.
For two decades, Ma has created visually striking projects in China and internationally, blending modern design with natural elements. He credits his childhood in Beijing’s traditional “hutong” alleyways, with their trees and open spaces, as an early influence on his work.
Ma studied architecture at Yale University and briefly worked with designer Zaha Hadid before founding MAD Architects in 2004. His firm has since designed landmark structures like the Harbin Opera House in China and the Absolute Towers in Toronto, Canada. Ma draws inspiration from traditional Chinese “shanshui” paintings, which depict landscapes, and aims to create buildings that feel like natural environments. Ma believes architecture is shifting to prioritize people over imposing structures.
He focuses on creating accessible, welcoming spaces, as seen in his Baiziwan Social Housing project in Beijing, which provides open, sunlit housing for low-income communities and encourages integration with the wider city. Ma hopes his designs offer “freedom of movement” and a sense of belonging for all residents, rejecting designs that project wealth or power.
