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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.
Project name
Fenix
Architecture firm
MAD Architects
Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Photography
Iwan Baan, Arch-Exist, Hufton+Crow
Inspired by the traditional Chinese oil paper umbrella, the installation uses Xuan paper as its main material. The paper is coated multiple times with tung oil to make it both translucent and water-resistant. The structure gives new form and scale to this ancient craft, transforming it into an outdoor space that offers shade from the sun and shelte...
Project name
Chinese Paper Umbrella
Architecture firm
MAD Architects
Location
Arsenale – Magazzino Delle Cisterne, Castello 2169/F, 30122 Venice, Italy
The China Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, titled CO-EXIST and curated by Ma Yansong, founder and principal partner of MAD Architects, officially opened on Friday, May 9 at the Arsenale.
Title
CO-EXIST: Pavilion of China at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia
Eligibility
Open to public
The Pavilion of China at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, titled CO-EXIST, curated by Ma Yansong, founder and principal partner of MAD Architects, and organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s republic of China, will open to the public on Saturday May 10 at the Arsenale.
Title
Pavilion of China at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia
Category
Architecture & Design
Eligibility
Open to public
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...
Project name
Fenix
Architecture firm
MAD Architects
Location
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Photography
Henry Verhorst (Drone Footage), Mark Bolk, Gregg Telussa, Wilbert Zuiderduin