MAD Architects, in collaboration with the Droom en Daad Foundation, is proud to announce the near completion of Fenix, the first art museum dedicated to exploring migration as its central theme. Situated on Rotterdam’s historic Katendrecht peninsula, Fenix, will open its doors to the public on May 16, 2025, in a carefully restored 16,000-square-meter warehouse that is located on the quay from which millions of migrants departed and arrived.
“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,” says Ma Yansong, Founder and Principal Architect of MAD.
At the heart of Rotterdam's Katendrecht peninsula, Fenix occupies a century-old structure that was once part of the world’s largest transshipment warehouse for the Holland America Line, a company that facilitated the migration of millions, including figures like Albert Einstein and Willem de Kooning. The centerpiece of its transformation is the Tornado, a dramatic double-helix staircase that rises through the heart of the warehouse and extends onto a rooftop viewing platform. This architectural feature offers visitors sweeping views of the River Maas and Rotterdam’s skyline symbolizing a bridge between history and modernity.
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.
“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.” Says Ma Yansong
Through its art, architecture, and programming, Fenix aims to reflect Rotterdam’s multicultural identity while creating a platform for exploring migration as a global human experience.
