Fenix

Located on Rotterdam’s Katendrecht Peninsula, Fenix stands on the historic site from which millions once departed for new lives abroad. The renovation preserves the concrete and steel frame of the 1923 warehouse while opening the roof to daylight and public access. At its heart, a spiraling stainless steel staircase weaves through the structure, linking old and new through reflection, movement, and light. Across 16000 m², the museum integrates exhibition spaces, civic areas and a rooftop deck overlooking the city and harbor. The design expresses migration as both collective memory and renewal.

The project faced the dual challenge of preserving a listed industrial monument while redefining it as a contemporary museum about migration. Situated on Rotterdam’s working waterfront, the 1923 warehouse required both structural renewal and cultural reinterpretation. MAD’s strategy was to maintain the original concrete and steel framework as a vessel of memory while introducing a new spatial core, the Tornado staircase, that reshapes circulation, perception, and light. This sculptural element forms a dialogue between ground and sky, history and future, permanence and movement. By opening the roof to the public and reconnecting the building to the harbor, the design transforms a place of departure into a civic destination. Collaboration with the Droom en Daad Foundation and heritage specialists ensured that Fenix remains both rooted in its past and reflective of a shared human journey forward.

Fenix is an adaptive reuse of a 1923 concrete and steel warehouse on Rotterdam’s waterfront. The existing frame was preserved and reinforced to meet contemporary standards, minimizing demolition and material waste while honoring the building’s industrial heritage. New insertions use stainless steel, glass, and concrete, contrasting with the restored shell and ensuring durability, strength, and ease of maintenance. The Tornado staircase, fabricated in brushed stainless steel, is both structural and experiential, suspended through precision engineering to integrate movement, light, and reflection. Its truss system cantilevers outward to form a vertical core. Roof openings bring daylight deep into the interior, reducing energy demand and enhancing spatial quality. Retaining and upgrading the original envelope reduced embodied carbon and construction cost. Routine cleaning and inspection of stainless steel and glazing maintain long-term performance and visual integrity.