Location: Ordos, China.

Architect: MAD architects.

The Art and City Museum in Ordos, Inner Mongolia was designed by MAD architects to interpret local traditions in a new urban context. The project was commissioned by the municipal government of Ordos six years ago and was envisioned as a futuristic shell to protect the cultural history of the region and refute the rational new city outside. The museum sits upon sloping hills and is encapsulated by a sinuous façade, which is a gesture to the recent desert past. The museum has become a favorite gathering place for local children and families.

Photo credit: Iwan Baan.