Beijing Yamei Times Wins Golden Award for Hua Chenyu Mars Concert Stage Design

Inside the Martian Treehouse Stage Concept that United Nature and Music to Earn Global Design Recognition

Picture a concert where sunlight and starlight share equal billing with the performer, where the stage itself tells a story of cosmic wonder and earthly comfort, and where twenty thousand fans experience two completely different shows in a single evening. The grassy expanse in Haikou, China became precisely such creative territory in December 2021, when Beijing Yamei Times Culture Media Co Ltd transformed the outdoor venue into something existing somewhere between a space colony and a fairy tale.

The 2021 Hua Chenyu Mars Concert stage design earned a Golden A' Design Award in the Performing Arts, Stage, Style and Scenery Design category for 2025, and the reasons extend far beyond impressive dimensions or flashy lighting rigs. The Golden A' Design Award recognition celebrates a design philosophy that asked a deceptively simple question: What if a concert venue could feel like coming home to another world?

For brands and entertainment enterprises seeking to understand how experiential design translates into audience connection, the Mars Concert project offers a masterclass in conceptual ambition meeting technical precision. The design team, led by Peng Guo, Ka Ping Kwok, and Bin Li, constructed a narrative through architecture, creating what the team termed the "Martian Treehouse" concept. The result was a stage environment that adapted its personality from afternoon to midnight while maintaining a cohesive emotional throughline.

What follows is an exploration of how the stage design achieved international recognition, what specific decisions drove the project's success, and how the principles embedded in the creation apply to brands pursuing memorable experiential environments. The lessons here extend beyond concert production into any context where physical space must communicate brand values and create lasting impressions.

The Outdoor Revolution: Redefining Concert Venue Expectations

Traditional concert venues operate within predictable parameters. Indoor arenas offer controlled acoustics, reliable weather protection, and established infrastructure. Indoor spaces work beautifully for what they are designed to do. The 2021 Hua Chenyu Mars Concert design team chose a different path entirely, relocating the performance experience to the lush green lawns of Haikou, China.

The outdoor venue decision introduced a cascade of design considerations that indoor venues never encounter. Natural lighting shifts throughout the day. Temperature changes affect both performer comfort and audience experience. Wind patterns influence sound propagation. The ground itself becomes part of the design equation. Rather than viewing environmental factors as obstacles, the Beijing Yamei Times team embraced them as design opportunities.

The outdoor setting enabled something impossible in enclosed spaces: a genuine transition from daytime music festival atmosphere to evening concert spectacle. During afternoon hours, the stage design emphasized what the team describes as "the harmonious blend of nature and music." Audience members could experience both the performance and the natural environment simultaneously. The surrounding greenery became a visual extension of the stage rather than a backdrop blocked by walls.

As daylight faded, the same physical structure transformed into an entirely different experience. The nighttime configuration prioritized "the perfect coordination of lighting and sound," creating what the designers envisioned as a "star-studded concert under the night sky." The dual-mode functionality required every element of the stage to serve two distinct purposes, essentially doubling the design complexity while maintaining a unified conceptual framework.

For enterprise brands considering experiential installations, pop-up environments, or branded events, the outdoor approach offers a valuable perspective. Environmental context is not an obstacle to design excellence but rather a canvas for creative expression. The Haikou lawn was not a limitation on what the concert could be. The natural setting became the foundation for what the concert became.

The Martian Treehouse: Building Narrative Through Architecture

Stage design at its most basic level provides a platform for performance. Stage design at its most sophisticated level tells a story before a single note plays. The "Martian Treehouse" concept driving the Mars Concert project falls firmly into the latter category, creating a visual and emotional narrative that audiences enter simply by arriving at the venue.

The conceptual foundation combines two seemingly contradictory elements: the desolation of Mars and the vitality of a treehouse. Mars represents mystery, exploration, and the unknown frontier. A treehouse evokes childhood wonder, safety, and organic growth. The design team describes the resulting combination as "a magnificent tableau that leads the audience to experience the miracles and power of life."

The juxtaposition between cosmic desolation and organic vitality works because the combination operates on multiple levels simultaneously. Visually, the structure creates an otherworldly silhouette that captures attention and photograph alike. Emotionally, the treehouse element provides warmth that tempers the cosmic coolness of the Martian theme. Philosophically, the combination suggests that even in the most alien environments, life finds a way to create shelter and community.

The main stage dominated the visual landscape at 25 meters tall, 74 meters wide, and 33 meters deep. The main stage dimensions rival industrial architecture, yet the design language maintained the organic, fantastical quality that the treehouse concept demanded. The engineering challenge of creating something that reads as "whimsical alien dwelling" at monumental scale required careful attention to proportion, material selection, and structural rhythm.

Brands building physical environments often face a similar tension between scale and intimacy. Corporate installations must accommodate large numbers while creating personal connection. Trade show presences must command attention from across exhibition floors while inviting close engagement. The Martian Treehouse demonstrates that monumental scale and welcoming warmth can coexist when the conceptual foundation supports both qualities.

The Three-Stage Architecture: Functional Zones and Audience Experience

The complete stage installation divided into three distinct sections, each designed with specific functional and emotional purposes. Understanding how the three zones interacted reveals the sophistication of the spatial planning involved.

The main stage served as the visual centerpiece and primary performance location. The 25-meter height of the main stage created vertical presence that established the Martian Treehouse as a landmark visible from throughout the venue. The 74-meter width accommodated complex production elements while the 33-meter depth provided zones for performer movement, band positioning, and technical equipment that remained hidden from audience view.

The second section, termed the "home stage," operated with different priorities entirely. At 18 meters in length and width with two levels reaching a total height of 10 meters, the home stage structure created what the designers describe as "a relaxed and carefree haven." The home stage hosted interactive performances emphasizing "ease and freedom," creating intimate moments within the larger spectacle.

The naming choice of "home stage" connects directly to the Mars Concert brand philosophy of "welcome home." The welcoming theme appears throughout the annual concert series, and the physical stage design needed to embody the welcoming quality architecturally. The smaller scale, the two-level structure creating varied sight lines, and the programming of interactive content all reinforced the sense that the home stage space belonged to the audience rather than simply serving as a performance platform.

Connecting the main stage and home stage structures, an elongated extension platform stretched 60 meters in length and 6 meters in width. The runway created opportunities for performer proximity to the audience while establishing visual rhythm between the two stage structures. The proportions of the extension platform, ten times longer than wide, emphasized dramatic progression as performers moved between zones.

For commercial installations, the three-zone approach offers a useful framework. Primary zones establish brand presence and accommodate high-traffic activities. Secondary zones create intimate moments and personalized interactions. Connecting zones guide flow and create anticipation. Each zone serves distinct purposes, yet all contribute to a unified experience.

Sound Integration: When Audio Engineering Meets Architectural Design

Stage design projects frequently separate visual and audio considerations into parallel tracks. The visual team creates the structure while the audio team figures out where to put speakers. The 2021 Hua Chenyu Mars Concert took a more integrated approach that the design team identifies as a significant challenge they successfully addressed.

The extended platform created particular acoustic challenges. Sound propagation in outdoor environments follows different rules than indoor spaces, with no walls to contain and direct audio waves. A 60-meter runway extending into the audience means that people positioned at different points along the platform length receive sound at different times, creating potential synchronization issues between what they see and what they hear.

The solution required the stage design and audio departments to work "closely together, ingeniously integrating the sound system with the stage." Rather than treating speakers as equipment to be hidden or accommodated, the team designed the physical structure to incorporate acoustic considerations from the earliest planning stages.

The results addressed needs across the entire audience range. "The delicate sound quality at the forefront of the stage" maintained clarity for those closest to the performance. "The awe-inspiring audio effects for rear-seat audience members" helped ensure that distance from the stage did not diminish the experience. The front-to-back consistency in an outdoor environment with significant performance area depth represents a meaningful technical achievement.

Brands creating experiential environments often underestimate audio considerations until late in the design process. Retail spaces, museum installations, trade show presentations, and corporate events all rely on sound to create atmosphere and communicate content. The Mars Concert project demonstrates that treating audio integration as a foundational design consideration rather than a secondary technical requirement can produce superior results.

Emotional Architecture: Designing for Connection and Belonging

Beyond visual spectacle and technical achievement, the Mars Concert stage design pursued something more elusive: emotional resonance. The "welcome home" philosophy guiding the concert series demanded that the physical environment create genuine feelings of belonging among audience members.

The emotional objective influenced decisions throughout the design process. The Martian Treehouse concept, with its combination of cosmic mystery and childhood comfort, addressed the emotional goal directly. The home stage created spaces for intimate interaction. Even the extension platform, by bringing performers closer to the audience, reinforced connection over spectacle.

The design team describes their research foundation as creating "profound sensory experiences, awakening emotional resonance between the audience and the performers." The emotional goal shaped material choices, lighting design, and spatial proportions. Every element asked the question: Does the design element make people feel welcomed into something meaningful?

The designers further note their intention to "communicate positive values and social messages, stimulating people's interest in art, culture, and societal issues." The ambitious scope transforms stage design from event production into cultural contribution. The Martian Treehouse becomes not merely a platform for a concert but a statement about possibility, community, and creative aspiration.

For enterprise brands, the emotional design focus offers important lessons. Physical environments communicate values whether intentionally designed to do so or not. Conference spaces, retail environments, office lobbies, and brand activations all create emotional impressions. The Mars Concert project demonstrates that treating emotional impact as a primary design objective, rather than a hopeful byproduct, can produce measurably different results.

Those seeking to understand how the emotional design principles translate into specific design decisions can explore the award-winning martian treehouse stage design through documentation at the A' Design Award, where detailed imagery and comprehensive project information illustrate the concepts discussed here.

Scale and Ambition: What the Recognition Represents

The Golden A' Design Award represents one of the higher tiers of recognition within the prestigious international competition. The designation acknowledges "marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom" and recognizes works that "advance art, science, design, and technology."

For Beijing Yamei Times Culture Media Co Ltd, the recognition validates their approach to concert production as a design discipline deserving serious consideration alongside product design, architecture, and visual communication. The company, established in 2008 and headquartered in Beijing, positions itself around the philosophy of "Creativity Leads the Times, Service Achieves Brands." The Mars Concert stage design exemplifies that philosophy in physical form.

The design team of Peng Guo, Ka Ping Kwok, and Bin Li demonstrated that stage design for popular entertainment can meet the same standards of conceptual rigor and technical excellence applied to any other design discipline. The Martian Treehouse concept, rather than serving as mere decoration, functioned as an organizing principle driving decisions from initial planning through final execution.

International design recognition provides tangible benefits beyond the satisfaction of acknowledgment. The credential establishes expertise in competitive pitches. The documentation process creates portfolio materials showcasing methodology and results. The association with design excellence attracts talent who want to work on significant projects.

For brands evaluating potential partners for experiential design projects, recognition of this type offers useful signal about capability and ambition. Teams willing to pursue international design evaluation demonstrate confidence in their work and commitment to excellence standards beyond immediate client requirements.

The Future of Experiential Stage Design

The principles demonstrated in the Mars Concert stage design point toward emerging directions in experiential design across entertainment, retail, corporate, and cultural sectors. Several patterns deserve attention from brands planning physical environments.

Environmental integration will likely accelerate as venues seek differentiation. The outdoor concert approach taken in Haikou required embracing natural conditions rather than controlling them. Future projects may push the environmental integration direction further, designing for specific geographic features, weather patterns, or ecological contexts.

Narrative architecture, exemplified by the Martian Treehouse concept, offers brands a framework for creating environments that communicate without explanation. When the physical space tells a story, audiences enter already engaged. The narrative architecture approach requires earlier investment in conceptual development but produces more memorable results.

Dual-mode or multi-mode functionality addresses practical needs while creating richer experiences. The day-to-night transition in the Mars Concert design doubled the available experiences within a single event. Similar approaches could apply to retail environments that transform between morning and evening, office spaces that shift between work modes, or brand activations that offer different experiences to repeat visitors.

Sound integration as architectural consideration, rather than technical afterthought, improves both acoustic performance and visual design. When speakers become design elements rather than equipment to hide, creative possibilities expand while technical results improve.

The recognition earned by the Mars Concert project confirms that the performing arts design sector has matured into a field where conceptual innovation and technical excellence receive appropriate acknowledgment. For brands, the sector maturation means that experiential design projects can now draw on established best practices, recognized expertise, and defined standards of excellence.

Closing Thoughts: Design as Experience Architecture

The 2021 Hua Chenyu Mars Concert stage design by Beijing Yamei Times Culture Media Co Ltd demonstrates what becomes possible when conceptual ambition meets technical capability and both receive adequate resources. The Martian Treehouse concept created an environment that audiences did not merely attend but entered, transforming a performance event into an immersive experience.

The Golden A' Design Award recognition acknowledges the Mars Concert achievements while providing documentation that benefits the broader design community. The specific decisions, dimensional specifications, and design philosophy detailed in the project record offer reference points for future projects pursuing similar objectives.

For brands considering their own experiential design initiatives, the Mars Concert project raises productive questions about ambition, integration, and emotional impact. What story does your physical environment tell before anyone speaks? How do your spaces adapt to different contexts and uses? What emotional state do visitors experience simply by entering?

The questions raised by the Mars Concert project have no universal answers, but asking them elevates design conversations from functional problem-solving to experience architecture. And perhaps that elevation, more than any specific technique or specification, represents the lasting contribution of projects like the Martian Treehouse to the field of experiential design.

What would your brand's Martian Treehouse look like?