Full Frame: Sustainable Building with Architect Ma Yansong

Summary

The video explores the vision and philosophy of architect Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects, whose work merges nature with urban environments. Inspired by traditional Chinese landscapes, Ma believes architecture should address residents' emotional and spiritual needs. His innovative designs, such as the Garden House in Los Angeles and the Harbin Opera House, reflect this blend of nature and modernity. Despite criticism of his unconventional 'weird' architecture, Ma emphasizes creating new forms linked to the past, aiming to inspire emotional connections and new possibilities in urban life.

Takeaways

• 🌆 As cities grow denser, there are ways to integrate nature and freedom into urban life through visionary architecture.
• 🏙️ Architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, inspired by traditional Chinese landscape paintings, incorporates nature into his designs to fulfill residents' emotional and spiritual needs.
• 🏆 Ma Yansong has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Young Architects Award in 2006 and being listed as one of the 100 most creative people by Fast Company in 2014.
• 🎨 His signature style, called 'Shan Shui City,' merges architecture with natural landscapes, as seen in his projects like the Harbin Opera House and the Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center.
• 🌱 Ma’s U.S. debut project, Gardenhouse in Los Angeles, features green facades and a village-like structure that blends with nature while reducing urban heat.
• 🖼️ Ma’s upbringing in Beijing, with its mix of traditional courtyard homes and natural elements, deeply influenced his vision of blending urban life with nature.
• 🏞️ He emphasizes the importance of architecture as a conversation between humans and the world, where nature and built environments coexist harmoniously.
• 👀 Ma enjoys observing people’s reactions to his work, such as emotional responses to iconic buildings like the Harbin Opera House and the China International Park Plaza.
• 🖤 His projects, like the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, often push boundaries and provoke reactions, even receiving criticism for being 'weird' or unconventional.
• 🎭 Ma believes that architecture should innovate while drawing on historical and cultural references, but not simply repeat the past, aiming to create something truly new.

Q & A

Who is Ma Yansong, and what is his role in architecture?

Ma Yansong is the founder of MAD Architects, based in Beijing. He is an architect and visionary known for his nature-inspired designs that blend the environment with urban structures.

What is the concept of 'Shan Shui' and how does it influence Ma Yansong's designs?

'Shan Shui' is a concept inspired by traditional Chinese landscape paintings, where mountains and water are featured prominently. Ma Yansong uses this philosophy to merge nature and architecture, creating buildings that evoke emotional and spiritual connections for residents.

Can you describe one of Ma Yansong's nature-inspired projects mentioned in the transcript?

One of Ma's nature-inspired projects is the Harbin Opera House in northeastern China. The design resembles a snowy mountain, reflecting the cold, wintry landscape of the region.

What is unique about Ma Yansong's first U.S. project, 'Garden House'?

'Garden House' is a multi-family residential development in Los Angeles. The design includes green facades, trees, and plants that cover the exterior of the building, mimicking a landscape with small village-like structures on the roof. This creates a sense of community and integrates nature with the urban environment.

How does Ma Yansong's upbringing in Beijing influence his architectural philosophy?

Ma Yansong's childhood in Beijing, where nature was integrated into the cityscape, significantly influenced his design approach. He grew up in a traditional courtyard house with gardens, hills, and lakes nearby, leading him to believe that nature and urban life should coexist harmoniously.

How does Ma Yansong view modern architecture compared to traditional Chinese architecture?

Ma Yansong sees modern architecture as more focused on objects and spaces, while traditional Chinese architecture emphasizes the integration of nature and artificial structures. He believes in combining these philosophies to create architecture that satisfies both emotional and spiritual needs.

What is Ma Yansong's perspective on how architecture impacts people's emotions?

Ma Yansong believes that architecture can enhance people's emotional experiences. He recalls an instance where he observed someone crying at Louis Kahn's Salk Institute in San Diego, emphasizing that architecture provides a stage where individuals can connect deeply with their surroundings.

How does Ma Yansong respond to criticism about his architectural designs, such as the 'Jabba the Hutt' comparison for the Lucas Museum?

Ma Yansong understands that not everyone will appreciate his designs, but he values the reactions they provoke. Regarding the 'Jabba the Hutt' comparison for the Lucas Museum, he finds the criticism humorous but believes the design provides a unique experience, blending the building into the landscape.

What challenges does Ma Yansong face with maintaining green facades like those in the 'Garden House' project?

Maintaining green facades can be challenging due to the need for efficient water systems and the careful selection of local plants, especially in large-scale projects like 'Garden House,' which has one of the largest living walls in the U.S.

How does Ma Yansong define architecture, and what role does it play in the world?

Ma Yansong defines architecture as a conversation between the world and individuals, similar to art. He believes architecture shapes the environment and reflects personal views on culture, people, and the future.

Outlines

00:00

🌆 The Vision of Architect Ma Yansong

This paragraph introduces architect Ma Yansong, the founder of MAD Architects, known for his nature-inspired designs and the concept of 'Shan Shui,' which integrates natural elements into urban landscapes. Ma has received numerous accolades, including the Young Architects Award and being listed as one of Fast Company's 100 most creative people. He emphasizes that architecture should meet the emotional and spiritual needs of its residents, drawing inspiration from nature. The paragraph recounts Ma’s early experiences, such as redesigning a fish tank, which influenced his approach to human-centered architecture.

05:04

🏞️ Nature-Inspired Designs Across the Globe

This section highlights some of Ma's most famous works, like the Harbin Opera House, which resembles a snowy mountain, and the Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center, featuring high-rises designed as hills with flowing gardens. His designs blur the lines between architecture and nature, as he brings this philosophy to the U.S. with his 'Garden House' project. The building includes greenery on the exterior, creating a village-like environment on a hill, blending modern architecture with the natural landscape. Ma discusses the challenges of creating this unique design, such as using special desert plants and building green walls to lower temperatures.

10:07

🌳 Ma Yansong's Philosophy: Architecture and Nature Coexist

In this paragraph, Ma reflects on his upbringing in Beijing, a city he likens to a vast garden where nature and urban life coexist harmoniously. His childhood experiences in traditional courtyard houses, with hills and lakes nearby, shaped his vision of architecture that merges nature and urban living. He contrasts this with modern architecture's focus on buildings as objects, which lacks the spiritual connection between people and nature. Ma emphasizes the importance of integrating nature into city life to inspire creativity and emotional connections.

15:09

🏛️ Architecture as a Dialogue with the World

Ma defines architecture as a deep way of interacting with the world, much like art. He explains that architecture is both personal and global, reflecting the creator's worldview and cultural understanding. Ma shares an emotional story about visiting the Salk Institute, where the environment moved someone to tears. He sees architecture as a stage where people live their lives and express their emotions. He prefers observing people's reactions to his works rather than interacting with them directly, and he derives satisfaction from seeing how his designs impact their experiences.

🏗️ Embracing Criticism in Architectural Innovation

Ma recounts two specific projects in Beijing that received mixed reactions. The first, a reflective metal bubble in a traditional courtyard, was initially criticized by a neighbor but later praised. The second, the Park Plaza buildings designed to resemble traditional Chinese ink-painting mountains, also sparked debate. Some found the buildings too different from their surroundings, while others appreciated their uniqueness. Ma discusses the importance of linking modern architectural creations with China's long-standing traditions and philosophies, seeing this as a crucial step toward creating the future of Chinese architecture.

🎨 The Lucas Museum: A Blend of Landscape and Architecture

Ma reflects on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art project, which he designed with a landscape-inspired approach. Initially planned for Chicago, the design was controversial, with critics likening it to a fictional palace from Star Wars. Ma admits the criticism didn’t bother him, as the project was meant to blend into the natural surroundings of the waterfront rather than stand as a typical building. He believes the design offers a unique experience, allowing people to interact with the building as if they were walking through an otherworldly landscape.

🏙️ Chinese Architecture: The Debate Over 'Weird' Designs

This paragraph delves into the Chinese government's stance on 'weird architecture,' a term they used to discourage overly experimental designs. Ma addresses the changing attitude in China, where architects are now more cautious about innovation, opting to blend modernity with traditional cultural elements. He argues that while it's important to look to the past for inspiration, architecture should strive to create something new rather than replicate history. Ma sees the term 'weird' as subjective and believes that what others deem strange can often lead to groundbreaking creativity.

🌉 Reflections on Architecture and Poetry

In this final section, Ma connects his earlier thoughts about a bridge reflecting the mountains in a lake to his bubble installation in Beijing. He likens the distorted reflections in both the lake and the bubble to the surreal, dream-like quality of human imagination. Ma suggests that architecture, much like poetry, should evoke emotions and leave room for interpretation, allowing people to see the world in new and imaginative ways. He concludes by thanking the interviewer for the opportunity to share his architectural philosophy.

Keywords

💡Shan Shui

Shan Shui is a traditional Chinese art form that depicts natural landscapes, typically mountains and water, often representing the harmony between nature and humanity. In the video, Ma Yansong draws inspiration from this concept for his architectural designs, blending urban environments with nature, as seen in projects like the Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center.

💡Nature-Inspired Architecture

Nature-inspired architecture refers to design principles that mimic natural forms and elements, aiming to integrate buildings seamlessly with the environment. Ma's work frequently employs this approach, as seen in his designs like the Harbin Opera House, which resembles a snowy mountain. This concept highlights Ma’s belief that architecture should meet the emotional and spiritual needs of its residents.

💡Community

Community in this context refers to the social interaction and connectivity fostered by architectural design. Ma emphasizes creating spaces that encourage communal living, as seen in his 'Garden House' project in Los Angeles, where courtyards and green spaces allow residents to engage with each other and their environment, reflecting his belief in the importance of community-oriented design.

💡Green Facades

Green facades are architectural features where vegetation is integrated into the exterior of buildings, often for aesthetic and environmental benefits. In the 'Garden House' project, Ma uses a green wall to reduce the building's temperature and create a visually pleasing landscape, showing his commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly design.

💡Emotional Impact of Architecture

Emotional impact refers to how architectural spaces can evoke strong emotional responses from people. Ma recounts an experience at Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute, where a person became emotional in the courtyard, highlighting how well-designed spaces can touch people's lives. His own aim is to create architecture that similarly affects people's emotions.

💡Weird Architecture

Weird architecture is a term used to describe unconventional or experimental building designs that challenge traditional aesthetics. In the video, this concept is discussed in the context of Chinese governmental criticism of avant-garde designs. Ma defends such architecture, arguing that innovation often faces resistance, as seen in his work on the Lucas Museum in Chicago, which was compared to a sci-fi structure.

💡Philosophy of Architecture

The philosophy of architecture is the conceptual approach to how buildings interact with the world and people. Ma's philosophy integrates nature with modern urban life, as inspired by his upbringing in Beijing, where nature and the city coexisted. His work aims to reflect this balance, offering more than just functional spaces, but environments that inspire imagination and reflection.

💡Courtyard Design

Courtyard design refers to a traditional architectural element that provides an open space within a building. Ma discusses its importance in fostering community, as seen in his 'Garden House' project where a central courtyard allows residents to interact, reflecting his approach of creating spaces that prioritize human connection.

💡Cultural Reference

Cultural reference in Ma’s work refers to how he draws on traditional Chinese aesthetics and philosophies, such as the integration of nature and urban life, to inform his modern architectural designs. His buildings, such as the China and Park Plaza, are inspired by ancient Chinese ink paintings, which he aims to reflect in modern forms.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in architecture refers to the design of buildings that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient. Ma’s projects incorporate green elements, such as living walls and water-efficient systems in 'Garden House,' to reduce environmental impact while enhancing the aesthetic and functional qualities of urban living spaces.

Highlights

Architect Ma Yansong's designs are heavily influenced by the Chinese Shan Shui aesthetic, blending nature and urban architecture.

Ma was the first Chinese architect to receive a fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects, and was listed among Fast Company's 100 most creative people in 2014.

Ma emphasizes that architecture should meet residents' emotional and spiritual needs, drawing inspiration from natural landscapes.

His first architectural project was a redesigned fish tank, sparked by the realization that current urban spaces, like fish tanks, might not be ideal environments for their inhabitants.

The Harbin Opera House, one of Ma’s renowned projects, was designed to resemble a snowy mountain and organically blends with the landscape.

Ma’s concept for the Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center features high-rises that mimic mountain shapes and includes public gardens with waterfalls and creeks.

Ma's first U.S. project, the Garden House in Los Angeles, integrates a multi-family residential design with green walls and rooftop gardens to create a village-like community.

Ma notes that green walls not only lower building temperatures but also provide a unique façade, minimizing the need for conventional materials like metal panels.

Ma’s upbringing in Beijing, surrounded by courtyards, hills, and lakes, significantly shaped his vision of urban design combining nature and architecture.

Ma contrasts Beijing’s traditional integration of nature within urban settings with modern architecture, which often focuses solely on buildings as objects.

He views architecture as a stage where people's lives unfold, believing it should evoke emotions and allow people to express themselves freely.

While some of Ma’s projects face criticism, he accepts that his unconventional designs often challenge people's expectations, which leads to diverse reactions.

Ma’s China National Park Plaza in Beijing, designed to resemble mountains from traditional Chinese paintings, generated mixed reactions from the public.

Ma designed the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, slated to open in Los Angeles in 2021, to blend into its natural surroundings, though it faced initial criticism when planned for Chicago.

In response to China’s 2016 ban on 'weird architecture,' Ma argues that the term 'weird' is subjective and that innovation should not be stifled by such restrictions.

Transcripts

as cities become bigger and denser

is there still a way to infuse city life

with a sense of freedom and an

appreciation of nature meet architect

and visionary ma Jung song Maas the

founder of mad architects based in

Beijing whose buildings span the globe

and his designs have redrawn city

skylines in 2006 ma was awarded the

young architects award by the

architectural League of New York and

Fast Company magazine put him on their

2014 list of the 100 most creative

people in business he's the first

Chinese architect to receive a

fellowship from the Royal Institute of

British Architects Maas aesthetic

follows the concept of Shan Shui

inspired by Chinese landscape paintings

for ma nature drives design and

architecture should strive to meet

residents emotional and spiritual needs

when you look at the world you see a lot

of our problems and then at the same

time you want to propose a new

possibility that's the energy come from

I think so

the first time when I went at design the

first project was a fish tank for

example because I saw this fish leaving

there's a cubic fish tank on the street

and people selling the fish

if I were fish I don't want to live in

the fish tank what about architecture in

the city maybe those buildings was not

designed for human being we should

redesign those things as was a very

initial thinking and then I designed a

new fish tank for that fish some of Mars

well-known projects appear to have risen

up from the natural landscape his opera

house in wintery Harbin resembles a

snowy mountain in onwe province blocks

and housing towers mimic the hyung shan

mountain range the nanjing Sendai

Himalayas Center covers half a million

square meters with Hills shape

high-rises and public gardens flowing

with waterfalls and creeks now as nature

inspired designs are coming to the

United States

I met MA at his studio in Los Angeles

California

where he's finishing his first u.s.

project a residential development called

garden house some mob this is this is

the first here in the United States so

yes talk to me about the concept and

what you were hoping to achieve here is

a multi-family apartment I want to make

like a community so it's like a village

small village on top over here so the

bottom half of this building be covered

by all the greens on the wall so it look

like he'll landscape and then we put a

small house on top very nice and there's

the courtyard in the middle I think

Korea is important for community so

everyone can can see each other through

the courtyard

I think the main challenge for the

workers is everything is unique every

part every plan is a unique and the war

the green war on the outside well

actually my argument is a whip we

provide is a green facade to the city at

the same time we can lower the

temperature inside the building and we

actually don't need the facade material

we don't normally know you can do you do

metal panels now we don't have them so

inside we put a wheel but then

maintenance of the green is the issue

this have become very large leaving wall

I heard that's the largest and living

wall in u.s. and they have to use very

special plants from desert from local

and then the the

the water system need to be very

efficient to save water and the next

space I guess is getting the trees in

right you see those concrete boxes

they're cheap hot later on they will put

a tree in those hot also on the roof so

from the street urban street you can see

we have a trees on the other hill

surrounding the small village how do you

think your upbringing in Beijing has

influenced you as an architect the

Aegean was a great city I think he's a

bit like a huge garden when I was a kid

I live in the traditional courtyard

house there's a valley hood home and

then there is a mountains and lakes in

the center of the city right behind the

Forbidden City is so-so people live in

this nature and after school I go climb

them up this small hill and then I go

swear I I thought the city should look

like that the you always has

Metropolitan Life also nature mixed only

after I came the states and after I

study architecture modern architecture I

find modern architecture is so different

modern architecture think more about

buildings about objects about the space

that I realized paging was a very unique

and then I find there is actually a

philosophy behind that in Asians China

the nature and artificial can coexist

human being and nature should combine

together because human needs to have

nature as a cultural reference they

imagine a lot of things through the

nature through the tree

you rub the water that's a spiritual

quality of the life in the city let's

talk about architecture in general noted

architect once said architecture is a

deep way of engaging with the world I

want to get your definition how do you

see your architecture level how would

you describe it to someone

yeah I'm sure architecture is about the

whole world because you build the whole

world by doing buildings I would say

it's also designed by individuals is so

I think it's a conversation in between

the world and one person a little bit

like art this your creation always

reflect how you see the world how you

understand the people the culture what

you want to imagine about the future

what's that first experience like where

you've designed something and it's been

embraced and people love it it's of

blockbusters you describe the Opera

House what's the experience like going

after it's been created and walking

around and seeing people in awe and

looking at your works what's what's that

like for you I like to be behind the

scene if I go there I yeah I want to

observe people how they behave how they

react but I don't want to talk to them

but one time not not about my building I

visit Louis Krouse building in San Diago

the Salk Institute

there's a beautiful plaza facing the

ocean in the middle of the courtyard and

I saw some someone sit there and just

look at the ocean for a while and then

she started to cry I don't know what she

think about something but the

environment give enhanced her to become

very emotional I think that's really

touching me yeah that's that's reaction

I want to see people because since you

create architecture as a stage that

everyone can

form and they can have their life in

this stage when I look at my building

and people go there and they start to

love they start to jump or I feel

express themselves I feel very satisfied

you mentioned you you like to go and

watch people react you don't necessarily

want to talk to them but you like to see

what their reactions are is there one

that stands out in your mind where

you've gone to one of your places and

you've seen people reacting and

interactive it probably not that

experience where someone's crying but

one that stays with you and and and how

much of a payoff is that for you I mean

obviously you do a business to get

rewards but that's another form of a

reward we're watching that visceral

reaction from someone is there a story

or two that stand out for you there's a

I can tell you two things in Beijing

because Beijing is a very strange place

that everyone believed in something

already so it's a when you propose any

new things new architecture they will

first question for example the this

Hooten babo project it's a it's a

renovation project I built this a silver

bubble metal in the traditional

courtyard so when we construct the the

babo and the neighbors that it's a

French lady is that what are you doing

this in this traditional house you don't

understand your own culture you know

there's beautiful old house you should

you should do the same because our

building is actually not a building it's

a space with the reflect material and I

want to reflect all the surrounding into

this volume so so I want the building

disappear into the environment so after

we build it she came again she said I

love this another one also in Beijing is

the big buildings called China and Park

Plaza the two black high-rise building

we put it build it

edge of the park still a lot of people

have a different reaction to the

building there's a one journalist they

go to the street and they interview all

the people who live in the building who

use the building who passed by the

building they give all different kind of

opinions some of them they just say this

is too alien to dear friend from the

surrounding and some people say oh this

is a so unique so new but that's what

that's not what I want I designed that

building as a mountain as a black ink

painting mountain that you can find in

the in old painting there's just couple

guys that oh this reminds me that the

old traditional painting but most people

think is so different so new so I think

the past 20-30 years organization we

build many new buildings but in the long

history that's a short I think that's

just one period so after that how the

future Chinese city future Chinese

architecture should go i I really think

we should create something new but

linked to the past the the the tradition

the philosophy that we had a long time

ago so there's a there's a gap in

between as someone who pushes the

boundaries of what's expected Moz work

is not always met with universal

acceptance filmmaker and star wars

director George Lucas chose Maas design

for his Lucas Museum of narrative art

the museum is expected to open in 2021

in Los Angeles originally it was slated

to be built in Chicago

the Lucas museum design described as a

palace for Jabba the Hutt by a Chicago

politician does that hurt when people

criticize your work or do you think no

I've created a reaction people are

reacting to my design

I like that design I wouldn't feel happy

if people criticized that but the way

they criticize I do understand you know

the world you just said because i i i

didn't watch shower movie i don't know

what they're talking about I think what

the building that design bring to

Chicago was a new typology because

Chicago is a modern architecture home

other high-rise buildings our building

was on the edge of the city and connect

to the ocean to the lake to the

waterfront

so actually we designed this building

not as object not as a building it's a

almost like a landscape it's a book

makino melting into the to the landscape

it's a very unusual way that people can

walk around or approach the building or

enter the building it's I think that

should be very unique and exciting

experience for people

surreal like it's like you walk on the

moon scape right if you walk on that

landscape but they they didn't like it

some people do you know I don't know

some every time I meet real people they

said exciting they like it but you still

see the world on the internet but it

doesn't bother me

[Music]

in 2016 the Chinese government issued a

ban on so-called weird architecture the

government said architecture should be

quote suitable economic green and

pleasing to the eye

[Music]

President Xi Jinping said that

architects needed to get away from weird

architecture and in China and and there

was even a quote from Rosana who in 2012

she said a lot of Architects in the US

are lost but there are no projects here

we are lost and we're building cities is

that a fair criticism and as as Chinese

architecture changed over the last few

years I mean it's very identity now

that's that's truly Chinese architecture

would you say I mean how do you view

these criticisms I think that weird

architecture is a good term what is the

weird I mean nobody can answer that

clearly so you have opportunity to

explain what you think is weird at the

very beginning I think China was

building a lot of cities and new

architecture and very open to the new

ideas a lot of architects go there and

people say this has become the very

experimental place for architects I

think that's good thing I think right

now a lot of people try to guess what's

weird they think weird you pose new

creation which i think is wrong but but

in this stage a lot of people become

more conservative I would say in China

not there's still international

architects go there but they start to

self check before should should I do

this through that is a is a what they

create there is not necessary new in the

world anymore and Chinese architects

also there's a seems there's a very

strong in demanding to look back to the

history to the culture I think that's

important that's that's the necessary

but the goal is to study those and

creating something totally new not

repeating the past it's interesting this

PMI

no question and it's about the bubble it

reminded me earlier in our conversation

when you were talking about the bridge

and how the bridge reflected the

mountain and in the lake and and the

bubble in a sense is is the new version

of the bridge isn't it I mean it's yeah

it's oh that's wrong a thing you talk

about this it's your own form of poetry

I guess yes the bridge you see the

mountain and the reflection in the lake

and then lit because a wave of the lake

the the the reflection is a not

duplicate the reality that's what

happening in our bubble because a bubble

that has a strange shape so the

reflection inside it kind of twist it so

for me it's a little bit like a dream

like like what do you see in the dream

nothing is clear but that the flow of

imagination Wow or do I thank you so

much for sharing here