MAD Architects looked to classic Chinese landscape paintings in designing the new Chaoyang Park Plaza, built within Beijing's central business district. Built at the southern edge of Chaoyang Park, the new 220,000 square-meter complex has a similar function to that of New York City's Central Park, according to the architects.

MAD Architects focused on creating a tranquil, mysterious atmosphere where nature and architecture blend. The scheme comprises 10 buildings designed with curved organic forms in black and white — a nod to traditional Chinese ink painting. 

The centerpiece of the scheme is two asymmetrical twin office towers. Appearing like two emerging mountain peaks, the towers are connected by a glass atrium. Smaller low-rise commercial buildings near the towers look like mountain rocks that eroded over time. The buildings' seemingly random arrangement creates space for a secluded yet open urban garden where people can gather.

Two multi-story Armani apartment buildings have staggered balconies to offer residents more natural light throughout the day. The structures are all connected by a landscape of pine trees, bamboo, rocks, and ponds. Japanese graphic artist Kenya Hara designed the complex's simple, refined signage system.

“In modern cities, architecture as an artificial creation is seen more as a symbol of capital, power or technological development; while nature exists independently. It is different from traditional Eastern cities where architecture and nature are designed as a whole, creating an atmosphere that serves to fulfill one’s spiritual pursuits,” MAD founder Ma Yansong said in a statement. “We want to blur the boundary between nature and the artificial, and make it so that both are designed with the other in mind...”