The following description is courtesy of FENIX. The final phase of the installation of one of the most daring architectural interventions ever undertaken, the spectacular ‘Tornado’, took place today, the symbolic topping out of FENIX Museum in Rotterdam designed by internationally acclaimed architects MAD.
FENIX is the first museum in the world dedicated to stories of migration and will open in Rotterdam in spring 2025 with a collection of work by more than 80 international artists. The museum is housed in a 16,000 sq ft former warehouse on a landmark site in the heart of Rotterdam’s historic harbour, which is currently undergoing a major transformation under the supervision of MAD Architects and conservation architects, Bureau Polderman.
The Tornado is a dynamic structure evocative of rising air that climbs from the ground floor and flows up and out of the rooftop onto a platform hovering above the city. It is a symbol for the journeys experienced by migrants globally.
Rising some 30 metres, the Tornado is clad in 297 highly polished stainless-steel panels, made in Groningen, The Netherlands. The canopy that sits at the top of the structure is 17m wide and was transported by boat from Groningen to Rotterdam before being craned into place today. Inside the Tornado is a 550m long double-helix wooden staircase which emerges onto the roof of the building, with views across the skyline of the city.
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Anne Kremers, Director of FENIX, said:
“This is an exciting moment in the development of Europe’s newest museum. FENIX’s story is Rotterdam’s story. And its story is of the world. One of arrivals and departures, and of constant change to face the future. Working with a line-up of some of the best artists in the world, when we open next Spring, we hope to share these universal experiences in the creative space of FENIX: a next generation museum for a new generation of museum goers.”
Ma Yansong, Founder & Principal Partner, MAD Architects, said:
“When we were asked to work on FENIX, we knew we had to create a dialogue with the existing building and its surroundings – and with a past containing so many stories of migration, memories, and uncertainty. In designing a new structure, we had to show this dialogue between the future and the past, and so continue the story of the building. The Tornado is all about the future, but it’s rooted in the past. For me, it’s a metaphor for the journeys of migrants who passed through this building.”
The development of FENIX is supported by the Droom & Daad Foundation. Founded in 2016, Droom & Daad is helping redefine Rotterdam for the 21st century, developing new kinds of arts and culture institutions and fostering new creative talent that reflects the city’s diversity, its spirit and its history. The building has been restored with consultation by Bureau Polderman.
