Dezeen promotion: a new book presents 17 years of visionary projects by Chinese architect Ma Yansong and his studio MAD, from organically shaped skyscrapers to rooftop landscapes.
MAD Rhapsody highlights 23 of MAD Architects‘ key projects from 2004 – when the studio was founded – up until the present day.
It features some of the studio’s best-known works, including the plant-covered Gardenhouse in Los Angeles, the colourful Courtyard Kindergarten and the mountain-like Chaoyang Park Plaza, both in Beijing.
It also features smaller scale projects like the Cloudscape of Haikou and the Tunnel of Light installation in Echigo Tsumari Triennale, as well as in-progress works like the under-construction Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
MAD Rhapsody is the firm’s second monograph, following the publication of MAD Works in 2016.
The preface is authored by architecture critic Paul Goldberger and author Philip Jodidio.
The book explores various themes that are present in the studio’s designs, from organic forms to futuristic technologies.
These are illustrated through a range of photographs, drawings and models, across 288 colour pages.
“Known for its futuristic, organic, and technologically daring designs, which seek to create a dialogue with nature, earth, and sky, MAD’s work spans the globe,” reads the text.
“With a vision for the future city that is deeply rooted in the spiritual needs of citizens, MAD’s practice seeks to create a unique harmony between humanity and the built environment, both natural and manmade.”
The book also includes a foreword by critic Paul Goldberger, suggesting MAD’s work assimilates elements from the likes of Antoni Gaudi and Eero Saarinen, and combines them with “a dollop of pure fantasy and perhaps a bit of science fiction”.
He describes the results as “technologically adventuresome, flamboyant, bold and monumental in scale, yet with surprising and endearing elements of intimacy”.
MAD is a global architectural studio that is “committed to developing futuristic, organic, technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature”.
“With a vision for the city of the future based on the spiritual and emotional needs of residents, MAD endeavors to create a balance between humanity, the city, and the environment,” said the studio.
MAD Rhapsody is published by Rizzoli Electa and is available to buy now.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for UNStudio and Nihon Sekkei as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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