Founded in 2004 by Chinese architect Ma Yansong, MAD Architects is led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, and Yosuke Hayano. The practice is dedicated to exploring the future of architecture, integrating Eastern philosophy into contemporary design, and creating spaces that foster a deep dialogue between humanity, nature, and the environment. Every day, across our Beijing, Los Angeles, and Rome offices, our architects channel their passion into expressing our unique vision of spatial design, crafting fluid, visionary, and technologically advanced architectural environments.

MAD Architects is a global studio of talented architects, designers, and creative thinkers. We are dedicated to impact the experience and understanding of the built space that surrounds us, and from there we develop visionary, fluid, and technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature.

Ranging from large-scale masterplans to imaginative urban complexes, museums, opera houses, social housing, historic renovations, and art installations, MAD maintains a unique design perspective while striving to achieve a harmonious balance between humanity, the city, and the environment. Currently, MAD's global projects include the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza, Jiaxing Railway Station, Yiwu Grand Theater, the Cloudscape of Haikou, and residential developments in Paris, Rome, and Los Angeles.

Our team of 130 works across offices in Beijing, Los Angeles, and Rome. Our projects range from large-scale urban developments and masterplans to imaginative civic, cultural, residential and hospitality buildings of varying scale. We endeavor to improve the balance between people, their built environment, and their natural surroundings.

The firm Alexandre Furcolin Paisagismo has been selected as the winner of the national design competition for the Historic Center of Casarão Gallotti in Tijucas, Santa Catarina. Organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Santa Catarina Department and the Tijucas Municipal Department of Culture, Youth, and Tourism, the competition aimed to "stimulate the preservation of the landscape and urban heritage of the city" and "humanize the open spaces of the historic center."

Below, see the winning proposal, accompanied by the project description provided by the design team.

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Nature-based solutions (NBS) have become widely recognized as efficient approaches for adapting cities to the climate crisis and mitigating increasingly frequent disasters. Projects such as rain gardens, linear parks, hillside restoration, and urban agriculture help make cities more resilient to extreme weather events, while generating additional benefits for society, the economy, and the environment.

The World Cup will take place between November and December. This scheduling is due to the fact that average temperatures in the host nation, Qatar, can soar to 40 to 50°C during June and July.

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Celebrating its 35th anniversary, this edition of CasaCor brings together projects by 68 renowned professionals spread across more than 10,000 square meters inside a landmark of São Paulo modernism, the Conjunto Nacional. Under the theme “Particular Infinite,” this year's exhibition focuses on the accumulation of time, on the stories already told and those we tell about ourselves. In this universe of ways of inhabiting the world, and of the traces we leave around us—from finger marks on the walls to the dust we carry on the soles of our shoes—we are always searching for something that is ours alone, inexhaustibly our own.

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No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country within this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale would suggest.

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Patrimonio Ilustrado is a Chilean digital and analog project created by Mario Rojas Torrejón (holding a degree in Cultural Heritage Conservation and serving as Director of the Cultural Heritage Corporation of Chile) alongside Fernando Imas of Estudio Brugmann (a practice dedicated to the research, conservation, documentation, and dissemination of Chilean heritage). Within this framework, Rojas developed this subtle, precise illustration project that recalls traditional architectural drawing techniques to highlight the facades of prominent architectural works in Chile.

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Ilustro para no olvidar is a documentation, research, and registration initiative led by architect Natalia Karbabian that aims to illustrate heritage architecture that has been demolished or is at risk within the city of Buenos Aires. Serving as a testament and a form of protest, this artistic project seeks to honor these buildings of architectural, cultural, and emotional heritage value that define our identity, belonging, and the narrative of our history as a city and its citizens, understanding Buenos Aires as a melting pot of eras, cultures, and social classes. Currently, the project has recorded more than 50 illustrations, with over 250 still left to draw.

CityMakers is working with ArchDaily to publish a series of articles, conversations, and interviews with the various actors in urban co-production behind the CityMakers Barcelona Lab 2022, an event taking place from November 14 to 18. For this edition, Víctor Torres, an architect with a Master's in Territorial Planning and Environmental Management from the University of Barcelona, presents his article "Renaturalizing the City from the Smallest Scale: The Neighborhood."

Various Associates, one of the winners of the 2021 ArchDaily Young Architects of the Year. With the evolution of the retail market and the rise of consumerism, a highly visual "photo-ready aesthetic" has come to dominate market values, sparking the mass production of spaces that are visually striking but devoid of functionality or experience. Various Associates refuses to chase market trends or cater to this photogenic aesthetic. Instead, relying on rigorous spatial design methodologies, they meticulously control every detail and material to formulate a site-specific "sole solution" for each brand. Our interest in their work extends beyond final aesthetics; we are drawn to the design strategy and logic articulated through their practice.

SND Chongqing WFC Concept Store / Various Associates
SND Sanya / Various Associates
HAYDON Hangzhou / Various Associates
(SO)What Chengdu / Various Associates
J1M5 Boutique / Various Associates
The Waiting Hall of the Future / Various Associates
Floating Gallery / Various Associates
Vanke Nantou Ancient City Exhibition / Various Associates
Voisin Organique / Various Associates
MORPH / Various Associates

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SUPERTOMATO is a service-oriented company specializing in workplace design. With a client-centric approach, we deliver forward-looking, sustainable, and highly effective workspace solutions.

By constantly exploring how people work, SUPERTOMATO aims to design office environments that embody corporate brand culture. We believe such workspaces not only inspire and enhance productivity but also foster physical and mental well-being.

SUPERTOMATO helps clients optimize their workspace investments, delivering value through strategic design that seamlessly integrates aesthetics and functionality.

Beyond participating in the design of the Xiong'an Citizen Service Center—a national-level project in China—our team has built a diverse portfolio of active projects spanning Hong Kong, the United States, and India.

SUPERTOMATO constantly finds new momentum through self-reflection:

Open Positions

In these unprecedented times, uncertainty about the future runs deep. The Covid-19 pandemic is not over, the effects of climate change are already being felt everywhere, and many around the world continue to suffer from inequality. And this is just the big picture, to say nothing of how these issues interconnect. In a rapidly changing world, with stories emerging and evolving daily, which ones will have the greatest impact on people and the planet?

On October 19, the exhibition 'In Praise of Caves: Organic Architecture Projects from Mexico by Carlos Lazo, Mathias Goeritz, Juan O'Gorman, and Javier Senosiain' opened in New York, spanning multiple first-floor galleries at the Noguchi Museum. This space—conceived by the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, which was founded in 1985 by the category-defying artist Isamu Noguchi—brings together a selection of projects by these four artist-architects. The works explore the adaptation of natural structures to modern life, the practical and environmental benefits of subterranean living, and how humanity might reconnect with the essential joy of living in harmony with nature.

The awards ceremony for the Preliminary Design Competition for the expansion of the Country Club Villa – Chorrillos branch in Lima has taken place. The Lima Region of the Peruvian Association of Architects was invited by the institution to organize the competition, the first to be held following the guidelines of the National Competition Regulations. With 489 registered proposals, 48 formal submissions, 3 finalists, and 2 honorable mentions, the competition sought to provide the institution with design proposals for its new gym, restaurant, and service areas, in line with the club's requirements and high standards of architectural quality.

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Chilean valleys and their development around winemaking are a cultural heritage that currently lacks recognition, according to Pablo Lacoste, the historian leading the initiative to highlight the heritage dimension of Chile's vineyards and designate them as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) has launched the design competition for the Brazil Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo, which will take place between April and October 2025. The official call for entries was released on October 3, marking the celebration of World Architecture Day. Registration is open until November 7 on the official competition website, and the results will be announced on December 5.

“Domingos Libro” is presented by Carmelo of Enorme Studio, where he delves into forgotten architectural publications, books, and architectural magazines from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, which harbor the most fascinating backstories.

In November 1930, in Indiana, a monumental feat of modern engineering was completed: an engineering team moved an 11,000-ton (22-million-pound) telephone headquarters building without interrupting its operations or suspending essential utility services for the 600 employees working inside.

The Latin American Architecture Biennale (BAL) provides a perspective on the architectural scene—a bridge between Latin America and Spain. Currently organized by the AREA association in collaboration with the Pamplona City Council, the Basque-Navarre Association of Architects, the Government of Navarra, and the Ministry of Development, the event takes place primarily in Pamplona, with extensions in Madrid and Barcelona, alongside a traveling exhibition across the country.

The firm EArquitetos was awarded second place in the national design competition for the Casarão Gallotti Historical Center in Tijucas, Santa Catarina. Organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Santa Catarina Department and the Tijucas Department of Culture, Youth, and Tourism, the competition aimed to "stimulate the preservation of the city's landscape and urban heritage" and "humanize the open spaces of the historical center." 

Below, discover the proposal, accompanied by the project description provided by the design team.

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Against the backdrop of a global culture steeped in consumerism, every aspect of our lives is being consumed. As the physical medium of consumer behavior, commercial architecture is undeniably a vital link in this consumer society. "Insta-worthy" spaces—embodying trends, spectacle, and the culture of the gaze—are a direct manifestation of this influence. Yet, looking back at architectural history, we must also acknowledge that the rise of consumerism has largely driven architectural development. The influx of capital and the keen interest of real estate developers have, in some ways, granted architects more opportunities to realize their creative ideals within commercial projects.

Whether in cities or rural areas, "consumer architecture" functioning as public space often serves as the most prominent gathering point. To explore how to create comfortable, inviting commercial spaces, this article presents a curated collection of the best "consumer architecture" of 2021, offering design inspiration for your next project.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Emilio Hernández from the Centro de Imaginación Oaxaca, one of the participants in Cocina CoLaboratorio. Our conversation touched upon topics such as collective participation, the social management of habitat, altruism, racism, and many other social issues. During our chat, we addressed the nuances, highlights, and shadows surrounding welfare dependency and “aid” to communities, as well as how counterproductive and violent it can be to act from a position of privilege and top-down hierarchy.

Sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architects' Associations (FADEA), the College of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires District 5 (CAPBA D5) organized the National Preliminary Design Competition for the renovation, expansion, and restoration of the CAPBA D5 delegation headquarters in the city of Lobos, province of Buenos Aires. As a binding competition, the first-prize winner will develop the executive project and oversee construction supervision under separate contracts.

No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to introduce the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its small population or territorial scale might suggest.

In this week's episode, which closes the second season of interviews, Sara talks with architect Manuel Aires Mateus about his design for the EDP Headquarters in Lisbon. Listen to the interview and read the transcript of the conversation below:

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