MAD Breaks Ground On Museum Of Migration In Rotterdam
The Fenix Museum of Migration, which is MAD Architect’s first cultural project in Europe has broken ground in Rotterdam. Commissioned by the Droom en Daad Foundation, the project builds on the history of the Fenix warehouse, once the largest warehouse in the world.




President of the Droom en Daad Foundation, Wim Pijbes, noted that, "A museum is a phenomenon that has a very strict idea and image in most people’s minds. I want to find a word that has a kind of hybrid function, a place, a platform, an agora."
The project includes the renovation of the Fenix warehouse which was built in 1923, and located on the city’s Katendrecht Peninsula. MAD’s renovation of the Fenix warehouse connects the history of Rotterdam with the present.
MAD’s founder Ma Yansong said, “From a distance, the platform and staircase look like a single entity, but when it’s in front of you, it stands as a sculptural work that invites you to explore. It both signifies the Fenix’s witnessing of Europe’s history of migration from the port, and symbolizes the future of the city.”
To preserve the building’s historical legacy, MAD’s renovation embraces the iconic green steel windows and the concrete structure of the Fenix warehouse. In the building’s center, the facade and roof are removed and replaced with glass curtain walls and ceilings, creating a flexible and accessible space.
After its completion, the museum will hold an exhibition on the theme of “movement,” with contemporary artworks and archives curated in collaboration with local and international art institutions.
- date publishedJanuary 4, 2021
- categoryArchitecture
- original sourceArchDaily↗