iwan baan photographs MAD's chaoyang park plaza in beijing

acclaimed architectural photographer iwan baan has been in beijing to document MAD architects’ recently completed ‘chaoyang park plaza’. the complex, which was first revealed in its completed state last week, comprises a range of office, commercial, and residential buildings. baan’s images illustrate the scale of the development, which is set against the hazy backdrop so familiar to the city. ‘we want to blur the boundary between nature and the artificial, and make it so that both are designed with the other in mind,’ said ma yansong upon unveiling the project.

image © iwan baan (also main image)

‘iwan baan visited beijing in early august, when the summer heat and humid climate left a heaviness in the air — one that could be seen and felt,’ explains MAD architects. ‘over the course of the days he was scheduled to shoot ‘chaoyang park plaza’, he was dealt less than ideal photographic conditions. but, this is real beijing, and it offered iwan baan the opportunity to photograph MAD’s latest project in its truest environment. in his images, ‘chaoyang park plaza’, even with its soft, organic lines, and poetic silhouette, offer a very strong visual contrast to its surrounding urban setting. iwan’s photos show how MAD’s design confronts beijing’s central business district, in a way that makes them distinct from the typical box-like towers.’

image © iwan baan

inspired by traditional chinese landscape paintings, the design introduces a range of natural forms and spaces. connected by a glazed atrium, the site’s asymmetrical twin tower office buildings sit at the base of the park’s lake and appear as two emerging mountain peaks. the small-scale, low-rise commercial buildings appear as eroded mountain rocks whose seemingly random positioning forms a secluded urban garden. finally, the two multi-story armani apartments to the southwest feature staggered balconies that encourage outdoor living.

image © iwan baan

the development’s overall environment is shaped by smooth, curved surfaces that seek to evoke the emotion and aesthetic resonance of a traditional chinese ink painting. 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. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

image © iwan baan