Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of “World’s Best Architecture Firm.” Start an A+Firm Award Application today.
Flipping through the portfolio of MUDA-Architects, a distinct feature stands out across the young firm’s projects. Networks of pathways literally connecting building to landscape; staircases and ramps bridging building with water; arcades and courtyards heightening atmospheric perception; and soaring ceilings responding to the sky above — all design features that don’t simply create a “seamless connection” to the outdoors, but rather create a dialogue between building and surroundings, inviting users to join the conversation. While many firms describe their work as being responsive to site or integrated with nature, the Chengdu-based firm makes this conceit literal in their work.
What makes this all the more remarkable is that MUDA-Architects have less than a decade of experience under their belts. The Chengdu-based studio has already completed numerous projects of substantial import and developed a distinct, relevant and mature architectural language in commissions ranking from public, cultural and commercial architecture, as well as urban, landscape and interior design. While remaining grounded in their local context, their buildings are expressive and imaginative in form, program and materiality, with a decidedly forward-looking stance (as the firm poetically put it, “adhering to the oriental spirits and future-oriented mindset”). For these reasons and more, Architizer has selected MUDA-Architects as the Emerging Firm of the Year for the 12th Annual A+Awards. The prize is even more fitting given that it will be awarded at Architizer’s A+Awards Gala in MUDA’s hometown, Chengdu, this November. Stay tuned for more coverage!
More About Architizer’s A+Awards
In the following interview, Architizer’s Managing Editor, Hannah Feniak, sits down with Lu Yun, Principal Architect and founder of MUDA-Architects, to get to know more about this impressive and promising young firm.
Xinglong Lake CITIC Bookstore by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China
Hannah Feniak: Tell us a little about your story – how did you get started? How did your firm grow?
Lu Yun: In 2015, we founded our firm in Beijing and Boston, and in 2017 we began our architectural practice in a true sense in Chengdu. After we won the Xinglong Lake Bookstore project competition in 2018, as the increase of our market recognition and project influence expanded, our company mainly focused on commissioned projects. We’ve also been fortunate: over the past five years, several of our key projects have been successfully achieved.
Tianfu Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China
Looking back, which of your projects do you feel was the most significant to the firm’s development and why?
On their first completed project, the CITIC Bookstore at Xinglong Lake, Chengdu:
This was MUDA-Architects’ most significant project in its early days. We won first place among 249 competition entries, and the project was successfully completed and remains open till now. The design was inspired by “a book falling from the sky,” emphasizing harmony between the building and the natural environment. The building’s form and curves echo with the lakeside landscape. This project not only marked MUDA’s beginning but also set the foundation for our core design philosophy: respecting nature and culture, emphasizing locality with contemporary design and the vision of park city development.
On their most recent project: Tianfu Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Located in Pengzhou, Chengdu, this project serves as a new urban landmark that highlights our traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the ecological values of a park city. Inspiration from the philosophy of TCM, the design emphasizes unity between humanity and nature, along with the balance of yin and yang. The building’s form reflects the dynamic balance of the Taiji symbol. This project represents MUDA’s ongoing exploration of merging Chinese cultural heritage with contemporary ecological architecture and marks us a step up from small and mid-scale projects to large-scale developments.
Kuansan Town Restaurant by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China
As a young firm with roots in Beijing and Boston and an impressive and influential body of recently built projects in Chengdu, how has your unique cultural and environmental context shaped your evolution?
As the founder of MUDA-Architects, my architectural education in China, along with my professional experience at an architectural firm of Germany, has given me a deep understanding of the importance of innovative design and functionalism. These experiences have profoundly shaped my perspective on architecture and my approach to design.
In MUDA’s practice, we uphold the core philosophy of an “Eastern spirit of locality and contemporary design for the future.” This concept stems from our respect for and understanding of traditional Chinese culture, while integrating it with contemporary architectural practices. We focus on expressing design diversity across various regional and cultural contexts, aiming for each project to resonate deeply with its local environment and cultural.
Garden Hotpot Restaurant by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China
What does winning Architizer’s Emerging of the Year Award mean to you and the firm?
Receiving the Architizer A+Awards’ special honor, Emerging Firm of the Year, holds profound significance for both me and MUDA-Architects. It’s not only a recognition of our commitment to the design philosophy of “contemporary and locality,” but also strengthens our confidence to push boundaries, challenging ourselves to bring forward even more creative and socially impactful architecture in future projects.
We have always been dedicated to addressing the unique needs of nature, culture and the city through our designs. As a young architecture firm, this award opens new opportunities for us to connect with peers internationally and expands the horizon for MUDA’ s growth and impact.
Minjiang Village Courier Station by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China
If you had one piece of advice to offer to the next generation of young architects, what would it be?
Stay curious about the world, proactively respond to changes, keep learning, and never lose sight of the original passion for design.
Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of “World’s Best Architecture Firm.” Start an A+Firm Award Application today.
Top image: Lujiatan Wetland Park Visitor Center by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China