Ma Yansong

About

Beijing-born architect Ma Yansong (b. 1975) is recognized as an important voice in the new generation of architects. He is the first Chinese to win an overseas landmark-building project and to design an oversea cultural landmark. With a vision for the city of the future based in the spiritual and emotional needs of residents, Ma endeavors to create a balance between humanity, the city, and the environment, committed to developing futuristic, organic, and technologically-advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature.

In 2014, Ma won an international competition and was commissioned as the chief architect for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in the United States, becoming the first Chinese architect entrusted with the design of a major overseas cultural landmark. Since designing the “Floating Island” in 2002, Ma has been exploring the ideal future of living through international practices. Over the past 20 years, Ma has led design of signature projects such as Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, Fenix Museum in Rotterdam, Tunnel of Light in Japan, Shenzhen Bay Cultural Park, Quzhou Sports Park, and Courtyard Kindergarten in China, etc. Parallel to his design practice, he also explores the cultural values of cities and architecture through domestic and international solo exhibitions, publications, and art works. He is the curator of China Pavilion at the 19th International Architettura Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, Italy (2025).

In 2008 he was selected as one of the “20 Most Influential Young Architects” by ICON magazine. Fast Company named him one of the “10 Most Creative People in Architecture in 2009” and one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business in 2014.” In 2010 he received the “RIBA International Fellowship”. In 2014 he was awarded “Young Global Leaders (YGL)” by the World Economic Forum. In 2025, he was honored as one of the “TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World.”

Ma holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Yale University, and a Bachelor’s degree from the Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture. He has been an adjunct professor at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tsinghua University, and the University of Southern California. He joined the Yale University's School of Architecture as the Eero Saarinen Visiting Professor of Architectural Design 2024 fall.