Museum coup for architects

MAD Architects in Beijing has won the bidding to be principle designer for US film director George Lucas' narrative art museum in Chicago, becoming the first Chinese architecture and design studio to be involved in the landmark project.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will showcase the evolution of moving images, including illustrations, cinema art and digital mediums. It will be based on Lucas' collection, the earliest works of which date back 150 years.

MAD Architects stood out among several candidates from around the world for its "innovative approach to design and philosophy of connecting urban spaces to natural landscapes", museum officials say.

Lucas, the museum's founder, says he is "thrilled with the architectural team's vision for the building and surrounding green space".

Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects, will be in charge of the building's design, working with Chicago-based Studio Gang, who will design the landscape. The final design will be introduced late this year.

Born in Beijing, Ma, 39, graduated from Yale School of Architecture and founded MAD Architects in 2004. His designs include the Ordos Museum in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Absolute Towers in Ontario, Canada.

Ma says he hopes to create "a timeless design that moves and inspires people just like Lucas' collection".