MAD Architects has designed a waterfront arts center in China’s Foshan City described as a “gentle ripple by the lake.” When completed in 2029, the Nanhai Art Center will cover an area of 640,000 square feet, housing a grand theater, a museum, and a sports center.

The scheme has been conceived as a “continuous wave of water,” with the three main buildings sitting underneath a floating canopy comprised of a white, translucent ETFE membrane. The resulting blurring of outdoor and indoor spaces seeks to emphasize the prominence of the nearby lake in the scheme, encouraging the local community to embrace the waterfront as a part of the scheme’s cultural function.

“The traditional culture of Nanhai is in the drum beat and boat drift during the dragon festival boat race and in the kung-fu in the lion dance,” MAD founder Ma Yansong about the site’s context. “Watching them, you can feel the dynamic vibrant, and innovative spirit from ancient times till today. We want to bring it back to modern living here.”

To link the architecture and waterfront, the scheme is designed along a visual axis to the lake, with programs situated on both sides of the axis. On one side sits the museum alongside the grand theater, itself holding a 1,500-seat amphitheater and 600-seat multi-purpose hall. On the other side of the axis, the sports center will contain swimming pools, basketball courts, badminton courts, and other sports spaces and facilities.

Across the scheme, permeable facades have been designed to “allow nature to flow through the site back to the city.” Externally, a two-story landscaped platform extends towards the lake to link the waterfront, park, and built spaces, establishing what the team describes as “a harmonious balance between nature and architecture.”

Along the lake, a blend of commercial and cultural spaces extend the built environment to the waterfront, while the elevated viewing platform and outdoor patios further connect the three main cultural buildings with commercial and hospitality outlets. At the top of the platform, a pedestrian space leads visitors to the entrance of the three cultural anchors.

"The local culture of Southern Guangdong is always about the gathering of people,” Yansong added. “To keep the same lifestyle, it has to be contributed by the contemporary cultural venues. The design of the Nanhai Art Center wants to provide the maximum grey spaces for such activities. It is also inspired by the large eaves of the traditional architecture of Lingnan, the ancient broader Guangdong area.”

News of the scheme comes weeks after Ma Yansong unveiled his Landscapes in Motion exhibition, offering a 20-year reflection on the future of cities. Earlier in November, MAD’s Lucas Museum of Narrative Art began work on its exterior finishes while, in October, the firm unveiled plans to renovate a Shanghai cement warehouse with a floating metal ‘ark.’