MAD Architects’ towers recall traditional Chinese landscape paintings

The Chaoyang Park Plaza by MAD Architects in Beijing is shaped by smooth, curved surfaces of black and white elements. It evokes the emotion and aesthetic resonance of a traditional Chinese ink painting, creating a tranquil escape from the surrounding urban environment. The project introduces two asymmetrical twin tower office buildings on the north side of the site, that sit at the base of the park’s lake and are like two mountain peaks growing out of the water.

The small-scale, low-rise commercial buildings appear as mountain rocks that have endured long-term erosion. They seem to be randomly placed, but their strategic relationship to one another forms a secluded, but open urban garden, offering a place where people can meet within nature in the middle of the city. The two multi-story Armani apartments to the southwest continue this concept of “open air living” with their staggered balconies, offering each residential unit more opportunities to be exposed to natural sunlight.

The landscape that weaves itself in between the buildings incorporates pine trees, bamboo, rocks and ponds ─ all traditional Eastern landscape elements that imply a deeper connection between the architecture and classical space. Japanese graphic artist Kenya Hara led the design of the signage system. The project has been awarded the LEED Gold Certification by the US Green Building Council. The vertical fins seen on the exterior glass facade function as an energy efficient ventilation and filtration system, drawing fresh air indoors. At the base of the towers, there is a pond, that works as an air cooling system in the summer, decreasing the overall temperature of the interior.