Harbin Grand Theatre
MAD Architects / Ma Yansong · Harbin, China · 2015
MAD’s Harbin Grand Theatre is shaped as a continuous white landscape rising from wetlands beside the Songhua River. Curved exterior surfaces merge roof, wall and public promenade, allowing visitors to climb across the building and look toward the surrounding city and marshland. Inside, warm timber surfaces define the principal auditorium and contrast with the pale exterior shell. Completed in 2015, the theatre is a major example of Ma Yansong’s interest in architecture as artificial topography and in cultural buildings whose public circulation extends beyond enclosed program.