If you live in the GTA, you’ve probably heard of Cityzen’s Absolute Towers in Mississauga. Another name you might find familiar is Ma Yansong, the creative mind behind the iconic towers. Ma Yansong really made a name for himself and MAD Architects, so we decided to see what else the firm has been up to lately, and what we found is mind blowing.

One of MAD’s projects that’s listed as a proposal is called Beijing 2050, and it is just that—a master plan for what Beijing would like in 2050 if the architects had their way. The plan has three different projects: People’s Park, The Future of Hutongs and the Floating Island of the CBD.

People’s Park

MAD Architects is foreseeing a democratic China by the year 2050, and if that’s the case, then the giant spaces for political gatherings and troop processions in Tiananmen Square probably won’t be necessary. The plan calls for this space to be transformed into a vast urban green space, which is completely open to the public.

The Future of Hutongs

Hutongs are narrow streets and alleys, and Beijing is known for having many of them. Tourists love visiting them, but local residents are left to deal with the debris they leave behind. Hutongs in Beijing have developed a reputation for being unsanitary, so MAD has designed “futuristic bubbles” that would provide the area with necessary facilities to maintain a clean environment.

Floating Island over the CBD

The CBD is Beijing’s Central Business District. Out of the three projects, the Floating Island is the most drastic. According to MAD, the Floating Island is designed with a “western vision of modernization” in mind. MAD believes Beijing needs to start developing as a whole, rather than a series of individual glass boxes competing in height with each other (sound familiar?).

The Floating Island would feature theatres, multimedia business centres, fitness facilities, a man-made lake, libraries and, of course, restaurants. The only issue we think may arise with this design is that it would cast a pretty large shadow over the CBD. Perhaps MAD has a solution for this.

We have to hand it to MAD Architects for coming up with this awesome master plan for Beijing. It has certainly made a place for itself near the top of the list of best architectural firms in the world.

Do you think a design like the Floating Island would ever fly in Toronto?