MAD Architects studio, directed by Ma Yansong, joins a collection of international architects who are starting to work in Quito city, presenting their first mixed-use project under the name "Qondesa" in the capital of Ecuador, Quito, located in the Guayllabambauna river basin, at an altitude of 2,850 m., on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountain range.
 
"...Although the architecture seems to remind more of the proposals of the city of Miami, than those of Ecuador..."

The project intends to become the tallest building in a city of coexisting contrasts influenced by its diverse ecosystems, ethnicities, and traditions, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring the best preserved and least altered historic downtown in the Americas. from the south.
The proposal designed by MAD Architects, located near the neighboring Iñaquito metro station, seeks to integrate with nature in a high-density area (although this aspect alone is not the solution for a more sustainable world if it is not accompanied by complexity). and urban continuity), developing with an organic shape in the form of a twisted stem.

The exterior façade of Qondesa grows displaying vegetation from the flower boxes on its balconies, with a structure that emulates vines that intertwine around the building to taper at the top. The exterior shape of the building is folded back so as not to impede the arrival of natural light and views of the nearby buildings.

The color and texture of the façade are intended to recall the volcanic stone from the nearby volcano used in the stone facades of the historic buildings in the old town of Quito.


Qondesa by MAD Architects. Rendering by Plomp.

The tower is located in front of Parque La Carolina, a 67-hectare active green space in the heart of the city that connects all the residential, commercial, and leisure elements. The building has multiple facilities and common areas, which, as discussed in the presentation, is complemented by eco-efficient engineering, which incorporates sustainability parameters through the responsible consumption of resources and energy, as well as comprehensive waste management from its stage. of construction.

The proposed tower is part of Quito's new urban plan, which aims to create a more environmentally friendly city and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.

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Architects
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MAD Architects. Lead architects.- Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano.
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Project team
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Jon Kontuly, Xie Peng, Horace Hou, Edwin Cho, Matthew McFetrick.
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Collaborators
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Tiffany Dahlen.
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Client
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Uribe Schwarzkopf.
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Dates
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2022 - Ongoing.
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Location
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Quito, Ecuador.
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Renderings
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MAD Office, Beijing, China. MAD is a Beijing-based architecture design office dedicated to creating innovative projects. The firm combines a sophisticated design philosophy with advanced technology in addressing and furthering issues in contemporary architecture and urbanity.

The firm has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2006 Architectural League of New York's Young Architects Forum Award.

MAD's ongoing projects include the international competition-winning Absolute Tower in Toronto, Canada; The Tianjin Sinosteel International Plaza, a 320M tall tower in Tianjin, China; the Mongolian Museum in Inner Mongolia, China, and a private villa in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The firm has also won numerous international design competitions, including the 2006 Absolute Tower Competition in Toronto; the 2005 Solar Plaza Competition in Guangzhou, China, and the 2004 Shanghai National Software Outsourcing Base.

MAD's work has been published worldwide, and the office has also presented its designs in a series of exhibitions. In 2006, MAD was shown at the ‘MAD in China' exhibition in Venice during the Architecture Biennial, and the ‘MAD Under Construction' exhibition at the Tokyo Gallery in Beijing. In March of 2007, MAD will be shown at ‘MAD.exe' an exhibition at the Danish Architecture Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Ma Yansong, Yosuke Hayano and Qun Dand.

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Beijing-born architect Ma Yansong is recognized as an important voice in a new generation of architects. Since the founding of MAD in 2004, his works in architecture and art have been widely published and exhibited. He graduated from the Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Ma attended Yale University after receiving the American Institute of Architects Scholarship for Advanced Architecture Research in 2001 and holds a masters degree in Architecture from Yale. He has since taught architecture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

Ma Yansong was awarded the 2006 Architecture League Young Architects Award. In 2008 he was selected as one of the twenty most influential Young Architects today by ICON magazine and Fast Company named him one of the ten most creative people in architecture in 2009. In 2010 he became the first architect from China to receive a RIBA fellowship.

“I work with emotion and with the context. When I design a building, I close my eyes and feel as if I saw a virtual world which lays half way between the city, the nature and the land. It goes from large scale to small scale. Many things travel in front of my eyes; I feel them and try to find the way to express my feelings. The language I use is the least important of it all. It does not matter whether they are straight lines, curves... I only intend for people to feel the same or to find something unexpected” says Ma Yansong. “MAD is an attitude, a posture towards architecture, towards society. Through our work we want people to be inspired by a place through local nature, time and space”, he states.

Photo © Daniel J.Allen

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Published on: May 6, 2023
Cite: "First project in South America. Qondesa by MAD Architects" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/first-project-south-america-qondesa-mad-architects> ISSN 1139-6415
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