'fake hills' by MAD architects
all images courtesy MAD architects

chinese firm MAD architects have sent us in images of their 2008 'fake hills' project.
their design for a new housing development is located in the coastal city of beihai,
on a long, narrow waterfront site. the concept combines two typologies that most
commonly define residential developments in china: high rise towers and long, low rise
blocks. the result is a bold new structure, a long slab with an undulating roof and circular
openings. this unique shape maximizes the views of the residents, but at the same time
becomes a monolithic break between the waterfront and the land behind it.

the solution is twofold: to cut into the slab, creating a sculpted form which references
the shape of the hills that dominate the region's landscape, and to cut openings through
the structure, allowing views and light to penetrate the structure.

a further reference point is traditional chinese architecture's intrigue with nature.
rather than sitting the building in a perfect, man-made natural garden, their structure
becomes the man-made natural shape itself: fake hills on which the residents can live.
the design provides both a high density solution and a new landmark for the city.




























year: 2008
location: beihai, china
typology: residential apartment
site area: 109,203sqm
building area: 492,369sqm
building height: slab-106m; tower-194m
status: under construction