Category:
Fenix Immigration Museum
📍 Project Overview
Project Name: FENIX Museum of Migration
Architect: MAD Architects
Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Building Area: Approx. 8,000 m²
Expected Completion: 2025
Photographers: Iwan Baan, Titia Hahne, Iris van den Broek, Rotterdam City Archives
Consultants: EGM architecten, Bureau Polderman, IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs, LBP Sight, BeersNielsen, Basalt Bouwadvies, 4Building, Adviesbureau DWA, Svavsek Hydraulics
Contractors: Dura Vermeer Bouw Midden West B.V., CSM Steelstructures, CIG Architecture, IFS Building Systems, Bosman Bedrijven, Woodwave, Droom en Daad Foundation
🧭 Background and Design Vision
Located on the historic Katendrecht Peninsula in Rotterdam, the FENIX Museum of Migration occupies a former warehouse originally built in 1923. Once one of the largest shipping warehouses in the world, this structure oversaw the comings and goings of millions of immigrants and travelers via the nearby docks.
With restoration consultation by Bureau Polderman, MAD Architects transformed this 16,000 m² warehouse into a cultural space dedicated to migration, memory, and mobility.
This marks MAD's first completed public cultural building in Europe, and the first museum built in Europe by a Chinese architectural firm. Initiated by the Droom en Daad Foundation, established in 2016, the project supports Rotterdam’s vision of becoming a 21st-century cultural hub that embraces diversity, creativity, and historical continuity.
🧱 Architectural Design and Features
Façade Restoration
The restoration of the 172-meter-long warehouse façade began in 2018 and took a year and a half to complete. Elements of the façade date back to both the original 1923 design and post-war reconstructions from 1948 to 1950.
Over the past 60 years, the building underwent several expansions and functional changes, leading to a fragmented aesthetic and deteriorated condition. The renovation brought cohesion and freshness, with key details—such as the distinctive windows—restored to their 1923 character. The 2,200 m² southern façade was cleaned with sandblasting and re-plastered with cement render. Sliding doors and window frames on the street level were returned to their post-war green finish, reestablishing the rhythmic alignment of columns, openings, and masonry.
The “Tornado” Structure
A defining new architectural element is the “Tornado”—a dramatic, double-helix staircase that spirals upward through the roof to a viewing platform 24 meters above ground, offering sweeping views of Rotterdam and the Maas River.
Clad in 297 polished stainless steel panels manufactured in Groningen, the structure’s 17-meter canopy was shipped in segments by boat and assembled on-site. Inside the Tornado is a 550-meter-long double-helix wooden stairway, with access to the viewing platform via a central shaft.
🖼️ Interior Spaces and Exhibition Layout
The building features a series of spacious exhibition halls spread over two levels. These will house the museum’s growing collection of art and historical artifacts, as well as newly commissioned works from contemporary artists worldwide.
The ground floor includes multipurpose event and exhibition areas, while the upper level will host the museum’s permanent collection. Visitors enter the museum from either the central north façade or the south riverfront.
Upon entering, attention is drawn to the base of the Tornado, which is lit by a glass skylight above the central atrium. Natural daylight spills through the opening, enhancing the dramatic, fluid curves of the sculpture-like form. The atrium also includes a reception desk, museum shop, and café.
A 2,275 m² area named “Plein” functions as a flexible cultural event space designed in collaboration with the local community. Located on the east side of the building, this area opens up on three sides, functioning as a sheltered public plaza.
The museum offers multiple food options across its interiors, encouraging visitors to experience the diverse culinary heritage of global migration.
🌿 Sustainability and Environmental Design
The roof is topped with a 6,750 m² green roof, planted with sedum species arranged in concentric patterns echoing the Tornado structure. This living roof promotes biodiversity, provides insulation, and collects rainwater for gradual evaporation, reducing stress on the stormwater system and mitigating flood risks.
A Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system is integrated, storing excess building heat underground. Coupled with heat pumps, this system helps regulate interior temperatures. Passive cooling and heating technologies are expected to reduce energy consumption for heating by up to 60% and cooling by up to 80%.
The Tornado’s stairs are made from Kebony, a sustainable Norwegian wood modified through a patented, bio-based process. Compared to conventional materials, Kebony significantly reduces environmental impact and provides durability.