Qingyun Ma

Whereas architectural luminaries from the world over are involved in the most prestigious projects in Beijing, the Chinese relief team is nonetheless making its mark with work most worthy of interest - and what is more, with real international recognition.  Qingyun Ma is part of this group. This young architect, 42 years old, studied at the Tsinghua University (Beijing), and then went on to earn a master’s at Columbia University in 1991. He then worked for the famous firm of Kohn Pederson & Fox in New York and emerged as the person of reference on the Far East Market. At KPF, he acquired very extensive experience in the organisation of work and the architectural practice, while keeping a critical eye on the conceptual approach. In 1995, Qingyun Ma created his own firm in New York, which he named MADA, and then, in just a few years, became deputy chairman of the Department of Architecture at Shenzhen University, and research coordinator for Rem Koolhaas, professor at the University of Pennsylvania. En 1999, he opened his firm called MADA spam in Shanghai.

A number of small, experimental projects, were followed by “Longyang,” his first major residential project in Shanghai, which comprises 20 buildings of 500 dwellings each. It is a great challenge to tackle such density without sacrificing the quality of life. The layout and design of the façade takes due account of the importance of natural light and good ventilation for each apartment.
The Thumb Island project, an island on an artificial lake at the confluence of two rivers, includes a social centre. This is an ecological project intended to share the public space as much as possible. Freed from the historical context, the architect has designed a structure composed of two buildings which rise and fall gently like two hillocks. The complex is seen as a large, flexible space. Its roof, like skating rinks, acts as a public park. The success is such that the value of new structures built round the lake has risen by one quarter. The architect has also designed the Cultural Centre in Ningbo, a prototype for the centre of Beijing, while cooperating with Rem Koolhaas for the CCTV media tower in Beijing.
His work is getting international recognition for its rigorous social criticism, cultural exchanges and educational work, as well as through his academic activities as visiting professor at Harvard, Columbia, Rotterdam and Berlin.

Qingyun Ma believes that the most fascinating thing in China at this time is its diversity, the need for comfort, even a sort of entrepreneurial spirit. He and all those who are living the globalisation experience in China are trying to prevent a standardised approach that would mean the end of architecture. Ma nonetheless deplores that the development of this megalopolis, which is emblematic of a Chinese concept of using urban space to the full, is very basic in terms of ecological criteria. Nevertheless, there are certain elements, such as Floor Area Rational (FAR) defined strictly by the city’s priorities of the city and of the department of planning. But the effects of an ecological architecture are not yet being felt. As an architect committed to sustainable architecture, Qingyun Ma does not represent the entire profession, even if other colleagues are increasingly embarking on this path. He considers himself lucky, because he also teaches. “Changes will come through education,” he says.
What essential differences does this wayfaring architect see between China and the United States or Europe in terms of architecture? “The way of working in China is appreciably different, and what makes the difference is policy which is extremely important in practice - much more than technology and the disciplinary approach of architecture.”