Andrea D’Antrassi
Biography
ABOUT
Andrea D’Antrassi is a licensed architect in Italy and Switzerland. He earned his Master’s degree in Architecture from the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio in Switzerland. With extensive experience in international projects across the United States, Italy, Australia, and China, Andrea brings valuable global insight to MAD. Since joining MAD in 2010, he has contributed to the development of the Boncompagni residential complex in Rome, the Huangshan Mountain Village, the Nanjing Zendai Himalayas Center, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Additionally, Andrea plays a key role in overseeing and organizing conceptual design competitions in which MAD participates.
AWARDS
- 2012: Absolute Towers: Best Tall Buildings Americas, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH
SHORT DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE OFFICE
Founded in 2004 by Ma Yansong, MAD Architects is a global firm committed to developing futuristic, organic, technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature. With its core design philosophy of Shanshui City – a vision for the city of the future based in the spiritual and emotional needs of the residents – MAD endeavors to create balance between humanity, the city, and the environment. Globally recognized as a creative pioneer, Ma is a central figure in the worldwide dialogue on the future of architecture. Ma was named one of the “10 Most Creative People In Architecture” by Fast Company in 2009. He received the prestigious “International Fellowship” from Royal Insitute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2011, and was selected as “Young Global Leader (YGL)” by World Economic Forum (Davos Forum) in 2014. MAD’s practice imagine how architecture can form a stronger relationship between humans and nature in connection to history – challenging people’s emotions and feelings through visionary works that transport them to another time and place. MAD first made a name for itself in its home country of China before winning an international design competition in Mississiauga, Canada in 2006. These two towers, pictured to the right and below, became know as the Absolute Towers. Since then the team has expanded worldwide and has completed projects in Asia, North America, and Europe while continuing to carry out Ma’s design philosophy. MAD has offices in Beijing, Rome and Los Angeles with over 178 employees.
AWARDS OF THE OFFICE
2012: Absolute Towers: Best Tall Buildings Americas, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – 2016: “Fake Hills”: Honorable Distinction – 2016 China Best Tall Building, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – 2018: Chaoyang Park Plaza: “Mixed-Use”, A+ Awards, Architizer
PROJECTS TO BE PRESENTED DURING THE EVENT
Project #1: 71 VIA BONCOMPAGNI
Start year: 04.04.2010
MAD won a competition to lead the rebuilding for 71 Via Boncompagni in the heart of Rome in early 2010. After four years of design development and hearings, the project was approved by the Rome Planning, Programming and Implementation Department, and Rome City Council in 2014. The project will become MAD’s first realized project in Europe. Built in the 1970’s, the existing building is a commercial courtyard building attached to an early 20th century chapel located on the street corner. The primary challenge posed by the competition stage was how to transform this incongruous modern building into a deluxe residential complex. In modern buildings beams, pillars, and floor slabs have replaced walls as the core elements of architectural structure. While freed from their structural obligations, facades still remain canvases for expression and style. Instead of demolishing and reconstructing the entire building, MAD will simply remove the existing facades, retain the structural framework, and insert new living units to transform the building’s function. New balconies and gardens will emerge from the “gaps and voids” between new residential units and the original framework structure. The boundary between the building and the street blurs as the new design peels away bulky facades and replaces them with a more open, transparent scheme. After realigning the existing structural system, the building will contain a “bookshelf” structure. 145 residential units of various sizes and layouts, ranging from studios to urban villas with facades made of custom metal and glass, will be intricately inserted into this 8-level concrete “bookshelf” system. The full height curved glass windows shift and protrude in a controlled choreography between the floor slabs. The “voids” between the glass and the framework will be transformed into gardens and balconies, bringing natural elements and sunlight into the living areas. Residents can see the interior courtyard through a hazy façade made of translucent metallic curtains. The existing moder
Project #2: FENIX Museum of Migration
Start year: 01.05.2018
MAD has been contracted by the Droom en Daad Foundation to design a panoramic viewpoint on top of the historic Fenix warehouse. The Katendrecht peninsula, located on the southern banks in the port of Rotterdam once was one of the oldest Chinatowns in Europe. Around the 1900’s it was here that one could find opium kits and that the first Chinese restaurant opened its doors in the Netherlands, and possibly in Europe. By choosing MAD this forgotten part of history will be brought to life once more. The commissioning of this platform on top of the Fenix warehouse signifies the first public cultural building in Europe to be designed by a Chinese architectural agency. In addition to the platform MAD will design a theatric staircase and a public atrium in the Fenix warehouse which will merge the ground and first floors with the platform on the roof. The Fenix warehouse was once one of the biggest warehouses in the world. The first floor will in future be used to highlight Rotterdam’s history of migration. Millions of migrants left Europe from these embankments, most of whom had Ellis Island as their final destination. The Fenix will be the place where a human face will be put to these stories. Ma Yansong, founder of MAD: ‘We are proud to realize a dynamic transformation of the historical warehouse that will encourage people to move through the space, and be enjoyed by the community. It will lift body and mind, and be a place of pleasure and contemplation. The Fenix will inspire wonder and exploration about the past, the present, and the future.’ Wim Pijbes, director of the Droom en Daad foundation: ‘The Fenix Warehouse will become a landmark for all those millions who left Europe from the banks of the Maas, and for everybody arriving today. It offers a great future for Rotterdam’s past.’
Project #3: ABSOLUTE TOWERS
Start year: 01.06.2006
Modernism has a famous motto: A house is a machine for living in. However, as we progress further away from the machine age, we are left with a question: what message should architecture convey? What is the house of today? Like other fast developing suburbs in North America, Mississauga is seeking a new identity. This is an opportunity to respond to the needs of an expanding city, to create a residential landmark that strives for more than simple efficiency and that provides residents an emotional connection to their hometown. In place of the simple, functional logic of modernism, our design expresses the complex and multiple needs of contemporary society. This building is more than just a functional machine: it responds to the significance of being located at the junction of two main streets, elegantly bearing its landmark status and acting as a gateway to the city beyond. It is something beautiful, sculptural and human. Despite its landmark status, the emphasis is not solely on height. Our design features a continuous balcony that surrounds the whole building, eliminating the vertical barriers traditionally used in high rise architecture. The entire building rotates by different degrees at different levels, corresponding with the surrounding scenery. Our aim is to provide 360 degree views for each residential unit, and to get city dwellers in touch with the natural elements and reawaken their appreciation of nature. The Absolute Towers are nicknamed as “Marilyn Monroe Towers” by the locals for the sinuous shape