MAD Architects

Left to right: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, and Yosuke Hayano from MAD Architects

Founded in 2004 by Chinese architect Ma Yansong (b. 1975), later joined by China’s Dang Qun and Japan’s Yosuke Hayano as principal partners, MAD Architects is one of the most renowned young architectural firms in the world.

Based in Bejing, Los Angeles, and New York, MAD is widely appreciated for its designs which combine organic forms, often inspired by nature, technically innovative solutions, and a creative use of modern materials, such as stainless steel (as in the China Wood Museum) and polished aluminum (as in the Ordos Museum, for example).
In 2014, MAD was appointed by George Lucas to design the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Chicago (then moved to Los Angeles), thus becoming the first Chinese architectural firm to design a major cultural building overseas.