new film showcases MAD architects’ vision behind fenix museum of migration in rotterdam

the film offers a behind-the-scenes look into MAD architects' design for the fenix museum of migration ahead of its opening on may 16th, 2025.

kat barandy January 29, 2025 4 min

the creative vision behind rotterdam’s Fenix Museum

With its sculptural design, MAD Architects’ Fenix Museum of Migration is set to open on May 16th, 2025, marking a groundbreaking moment in Rotterdam‘s cultural landscape. The world’s first museum dedicated to migration through art, the project is the result of a collaboration between MAD Architects and the Droom en Daad Foundation. With its web-like staircase overlooking the city, the museum is set to be a pivotal space for storytelling and understanding the complexities of migration and will introduce a platform to reflect on its important societal impacts.

In conjunction with the museum’s completion, the architects have released a film documentary titled ‘Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado.’ The film illustrates an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into the design process and overall vision behind this ambitious work of architecture. It follows the creative journey of MAD Architects’ founder Ma Yansong, shedding light on the concepts that shaped the Fenix Museum. The documentary is now released ahead of the museum’s grand opening in spring, offering a rare preview into the intricate design work and thoughtful process that transformed the Fenix from concept to reality.

fenix museum migration film — Fenix at Dusk, image © Gregg Telussa

MAD Architects’ celebration of migration

The Fenix Museum of Migration represents a significant milestone for MAD Architects as it marks the firm’s debut in creating a permanent public cultural building in Europe. The design team‘s vision is characterized by the museum‘s innovative layout and human-centered approach, with a volume that merges contemporary forms with Rotterdam’s heritage. The structure’s sculptural, spiraling design features a dynamic ‘double helix’ staircase, a focal point of the interior that symbolizes the journey of migration. Its fluid and organic shape offers a unique architectural language that resonates deeply with the museum’s narrative focus on migration.

‘The warehouse has a vast memory and a rich past made of human stories of departure and arrival,’ explains Ma Yansong in ‘Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado’. ‘From its docks, people arrived to build a new home in Rotterdam as well as to depart for a better life somewhere else in the world. So the task was to let the building tell by itself the stories of migration.’

He continues: ‘Fenix has to be restored to its original design. But we also had to introduce a new structure. This is how the Tornado emerged. The Tornado is a metaphor about a journey… We need to be aware that our journey is not the only one. We are part of a big web of journeys. Once we realize that we are all interconnected, we will be able to embrace the different paths that make up our own.’

For further details about the Fenix Museum’s journey so far, designboom has previously covered key milestones in the project’s development, including its groundbreaking ceremony in November 2020 and the completion of its iconic double helix staircase in October 2024. These updates cover the architecture in detail along with the museum’s connection to the themes of migration.