Photo credit: mad
Ma Yansong isn’t just one of the world’s most talented architects, he’s also turning that discipline into socially progressive art.
His firm, MAD Architects, unveiled some jaw-dropping projects this year, like the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam, which presents human migration as a universal phenomenon through features like its “Tornado” staircase, which serves as a metaphor for migration’s twisting paths and journeys.
He served as the curator of the China Pavilion at the 2025 Biennale in Venice, where he helped usher in a new generation of Chinese architects using an inclusive theme, “Co-exist.”
He also used the event to showcase his Chinese Paper Umbrella installation, which created a large public space that demonstrated how ancient knowledge and sustainable materials can adapt to a modern, urban environment.
That’s just one example in a longer list of 2025 accomplishments that includes installations in the waterfront Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, the large and public Jiaxing Station Park, the Anji Culture and Art Center dedicated to community well-being, and the Cloud 9 Sports Center in Shijiazhuang, China.
