At a recent preview event in Santa Monica, architect Ma Yansong led a small group of journalists through the newly opened Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, offering a rare glimpse into the design philosophy behind the $1 billion project. Ma, the founder of Beijing-based MAD Architects, is recognized internationally for his sculptural, nature-inspired forms that challenge conventional urban design.

Now 50 years old, Ma has guided MAD through a portfolio that spans 16 countries, with projects ranging from cultural institutions to residential complexes. The firm’s signature style integrates organic curves and natural motifs, aimed at softening cityscapes typically dominated by rigid grids and functionalist structures. The Lucas Museum, positioned over Exposition Park in Los Angeles, exemplifies this approach, with a curvilinear structure that appears to float above landscaped plazas and connect indoor spaces to the outdoors.

Ma’s vision extends beyond individual buildings to the broader urban environment. In an interview at MAD’s Santa Monica office, he emphasized the lack of emotional engagement in traditional city planning, which prioritizes order and technology over human experience. His work seeks to reintroduce a sense of freedom and escape within urban settings, blending architecture with green spaces to evoke the calming and inspiring effects of nature.

Ma’s own journey from a childhood in Beijing’s hutongs to architectural prominence shaped his artistic sensibilities. Raised by engineer parents in a modest courtyard residence, he initially found escape in science magazines and comic books, which fueled a fascination with futuristic worlds. Originally aspiring to be a filmmaker, Ma transitioned to architecture after encouragement from a professor, pursuing studies at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture before earning scholarships to study at the University of Arizona and Yale.

Influenced by prominent architects such as Zaha Hadid—with whom he worked briefly in London—Ma developed a fluid design language that balances advanced digital techniques with intuitive, hand-drawn creativity. Alongside partners Yosuke Hayano and Dang Quin, he formed MAD Architects in 2004, aiming to create contemporary Chinese architecture not defined by Western precedents.

MAD’s projects often draw inspiration from natural forms and traditional Chinese concepts like “shanshui,” an ancient painting style emphasizing harmony between landscape and habitation. Ma has described architecture as “making architecture weaker” to allow nature and human experience to take precedence. This philosophy is evident in works such as the Harbin Opera House, shaped like wind-sculpted terrain, and Beijing’s Chaoyang Park Plaza, where glass towers mimic peaks and waterfalls.

While Ma’s designs have been praised for their innovation and poetic qualities, some critics argue that they prioritize iconic aesthetics over cultural or contextual integration. However, Ma contends that this deliberate departure from conventional site-specific references critiques the alienation of modern cities from natural and emotional landscapes.

The Lucas Museum project marks a turning point for MAD, moving from singular sculptural forms toward immersive environments that blend architecture and landscape. Its rooftop gardens, expansive glass elements, and surrounding park foster a dynamic public experience. The evolution continues with large-scale endeavors such as a social housing complex in Beijing featuring interconnected “floating gardens” and a major mixed-use development near Shanghai designed as an integrated urban ecosystem.

Despite the global reach of his work, Ma maintains strong ties to Beijing, where he lives with his family while frequently traveling between China and the United States. The loss of his Pacific Palisades home in the 2025 wildfires led him to spend more time in Los Angeles, where his children attended school.

As Ma advances his vision, his focus remains on reshaping the urban fabric to reconnect people with natural rhythms and emotional depth. Observers note that his designs challenge prevailing notions of progress and functionality, offering a new paradigm that embraces feeling and imagination as essential urban ingredients.