Rotterdam has opened Fenix, a new international art museum devoted to migration, in a 16,000-square-meter old warehouse on the Katendrecht peninsula. Built in 1923 and known as the San Francisco Warehouse, this space was originally used by the Holland American Line, facilitating the voyages of millions of migrants through sails between Europe and America.

Funded by the Droom en Daad Foundation and designed by MAD Architects, the practice of Ma Yansong, Fenix is the Chinese firm’s first cultural project in Europe. The building’s refurbishment was assigned to Bureau Polderman, which took its historical value into account, preserving its original concrete structure and the characteristic green tone of its metallic windows.

The most striking new architectural element is the Tornado, a helicoidal lookout that rises from ground level up to a viewing platform, symbolizing the journeys of migrants. The helicoid is formed by two spiral staircases, built with wood and stainless steel, that intertwine all the way to the top of the construction.

The museum opens out to the surroundings through large glass surfaces and curtain walls that replace parts of the original facade and roof, creating a visual dialogue with the city. The glazed entrances lead to an atrium lit by a skylight, at the center of which is the Tornado.

Exhibitions aside, Fenix is a cultural center. On the ground floor is the Plein, a 2,275-square-meter indoor city square that hosts free-of-charge cultural events and activities for the local community.

With this intervention Katendrect becomes a bridge between the northern and southern parts of Rotterdam as it addresses the museum’s main theme: migration as a force that brings cultures, territories, and human stories together.

FENIX Museum, Rotterdam (under construction)