MAD Architects has announced the opening date of the Fenix, the first art museum dedicated to exploring migration as its central theme. 

The Fenix was designed by MAD Architects in collaboration with the Droom en Daad Foundation, which is nearing completion and set to open in May 2025. 

Video courtesy of MAD

MAD released a video featuring its founder, Ma Yansong, who discusses his vision for the museum in addition to showcasing the construction visuals.

Drone Footage © Henry Verhorst

Fenix will open to the public on May 16, 2025, in a meticulously renovated 16,000-square-meter warehouse on the waterfront where millions of refugees entered and left Rotterdam's historic Katendrecht peninsula.

"When MAD Architects was asked to work on Fenix, we knew we had to create a dialogue with the existing building and its surroundings—and with a past containing so many stories of migration, memories, and uncertainty," said Ma Yansong, Founder and Principal Architect of MAD. 

Fenix at Dusk © Gregg Telussa

Fenix is housed in a century-old building in the center of Rotterdam's Katendrecht peninsula that was formerly the largest transshipment warehouse in the world for the Holland America Line, a company that helped millions of people, including Willem de Kooning and Albert Einstein, migrate. 

The Tornado, a striking double-helix staircase that ascends through the center of the warehouse and leads to a rooftop observation platform, is the focal point of its makeover. 

Rendering courtesy of MAD

This architectural element represents a link between the past and the present by providing guests with expansive views of the River Maas and the skyline of Rotterdam.

The accompanying documentary, Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado, delves into the creative process behind the Tornado, offering unique insights into how architecture intersects history, and human movement.

Interior view © Wilbert Zuiderduin

"The Tornado is all about the future, but it’s rooted in the past. For me, it’s a metaphor for the journeys of migrants who passed through this building," said Ma Yansong.

Fenix seeks to represent Rotterdam's heterogeneous diversity through its programming, architecture, and art while providing a forum for examining migration as a universal human experience.

Image courtesy of MAD

Image courtesy of MAD

Image courtesy of MAD

Ma Yansong at Fenix © Mark Bolk

MAD revealed its latest installation, The Never Hut, at the Guangdong Nanhai Land Art Festival 2024 in Yanqiao Village, Nanhai District, Foshan City, China. In addition, the firm revealed photos of the bird-like LIJ Airport nearing completion in the foothill valleys of Lishui, China.

Project facts

Project name: Fenix

Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands

Dates: 2018 – 2025

Site Area: 8,000m2

Gross Internal Area: 16,000m2

Tornado Specifications: Height: 30 m; Ramp Length: 550 m; Cladding Area: 4,000 sqm Polished Stainless Steel

Principal Partners in Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano

Associate Partner in Charge: Andrea D’Antrassi

Design Team: Alessandro Fisalli, Neeraj Mahajan, Marco Gastoldi, Edgar Navarrete, Cievanard Nattabowonphal, Jordan Demer, Chen Yien, YukiIshigami, Pittayapa Suriyapee, Claudia Hertrich.

Client: Droom en Daad Foundation

Architectural Design: MAD Architects

Executive Architect: EGM

Monumental Architecture Renovation: Bureau Polderman

Structural Engineer: IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs

Steel Constructor: CSM Steelstructures

Cladding Constructor: Central Industry Group (CIG)

Lighting Consultant: Beersnielsen Lichtontwerpers

Installation Design: Bosman Bedrijven

Installation Advisor: DWA

Building Physics Advisor: LBP Sight

Top image courtesy of MAD.

> via MAD 

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