MAD’s first completed cultural project in Europe, Fenix, is a new art museum about migration, located in Rotterdam’s historic port district. The museum officially opened to the public on May 15, 2025. Rotterdam is one of Europe's most prominent cities of migration, home to residents from over 170 countries and regions.
Architecture firm
MAD Architects
Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Photography
Iwan Baan, Arch-Exist, Hufton+Crow
Principal architect
Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Design team
Alessandro Fisalli, Neeraj Mahajan, Marco Gastoldi, Edgar Navarrete, Cievanard Nattabowonphal, Jordan Demer, Chen Yien, Yuki Ishigami, Pittayapa Suriyapee, Claudia Hertrich, Gianluca Rovere, Antonio Laruffa, Nika Gasimbeyli, Paolo Pirri, Anna Spaggiari, Julian Salvadori, Giovanni Colombara, Edoardo D’Angelo
Collaborators
Associate Partner in Charge: Andrea D’Antrassi; Heritage Renovation: Bureau Polderman; Executive Architect: EGM; Construction Advisor: IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs; Steel Constructor: CSM Steel Structures; Cladding Constructor: Central Industry Group (CIG); Lighting Consultant: Beersnielsen Lichtontwerpers; Installation Design: Bosman Bedrijven; Installation Advisor: DWA; Building Physics Advisor: LBP Sight; Facade Consultant / Light Study: RFR
Built area
Gross Internal Area: 16,000 m² across two floors; Green Roof Area: 6,750 m²
Lighting
Beersnielsen Lichtontwerpers
Construction
Construction Advisor: IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs; Steel Constructor: CSM Steel Structures; Cladding Constructor: Central Industry Group (CIG)
Client
Droom en Daad Foundation
Typology
Cultural Architecture > Museum, Renovation
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 Tor...
Architecture firm
MAD Architects
Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Photography
Henry Verhorst (Drone Footage), Mark Bolk, Gregg Telussa, Wilbert Zuiderduin
Principal architect
Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Design team
Alessandro Fisalli, Neeraj Mahajan, Marco Gastoldi, Edgar Navarrete, Cievanard Nattabowonphal, Jordan Demer, Chen Yien, YukiIshigami, Pittayapa Suriyapee, Claudia Hertrich
Collaborators
Associate Partner in Charge: Andrea D’Antrassi; Executive Architect: EGM; Monumental Architecture Renovation: Bureau Polderman; Installation Design: Bosman Bedrijven; Installation Advisor: DWA; Building Physics Advisor: LBP Sight
Built area
8,000 m²; Gross Internal Area: 16,000 m²
Site area
Tornado Specifications: Height: 30 m; Ramp Length: 550 m; Cladding Area: 4,000 sqm Polished Stainless Steel
Structural engineer
IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs
Lighting
Beersnielsen Lichtontwerpers
Construction
Steel Constructor: CSM Steelstructures; Cladding Constructor: Central Industry Group (CIG)
Client
Droom en Daad Foundation
Typology
Cultural Architecture > Museum, Renovation
