A new multipurpose development is taking shape in Qinhuangdao, China, bringing a “floating cloud by the sea” thanks to a plan by MAD, unveiled this week, that will add 2,500 square meters of swirling new public space to the city’s coastal community of Aranya.

Having already broken ground in March, residents of the region will soon enjoy a new center for conferences, performances, and more housed in a flexible columnless interior space complete with a theater space wrapped in a unique white stained glass facade.

Viewed from above, the project’s footprint takes on a futuristic shape thanks to a white boundary wall and undulated landscape with painted rocks meant to resemble interstellar constellations. From the ground, a more atmospheric feel finally takes full form, with an articulated cloud-like structure sitting atop a circular glazed core that adds a floating quality to visitors who enter the space’s foyer through a long reflecting pool-adjacent walkway. A series of skylights hangs over the building’s interior, aiming to give users the impression that they have been transported skyward and are now working in a cloud. 

The coastal development is the latest MAD project showcasing the propensity for organic forms that inspired founder Ma Yansong’s designs for the Ordos Museum as well as the Harbin Opera and Lucas Museum, which will now open in 2023 owing to delays.

“What we are trying to create is an environment that blurs the boundary between architecture and nature,” Yasong said in a 2014 TED Talk. “Architecture is no longer a functional machine for living, it also reflects the nature around us. It also reflects our soul and the spirit. What I’m looking for is the opportunity to create a future with harmony between humans and nature.” 

Construction is set to end this winter with an anticipated opening planned sometime next year.