shiny perfection of glass and steel
During a walk through Rotterdam we stopped by the newly opened FENIX Museum of Migration — and of course we couldn’t resist taking a few photos. We like to share the projects that catch our eye, move us, or simply make us stop and say: wow
FENIX is one of those.
Housed in a restored 1923 harbour warehouse, the museum combines old industrial character with a striking new centrepiece: the “Tornado”, a sculptural double-helix staircase by MAD Architects (Ma Yansong). The reflective stainless-steel skin twists 30 metres up through the old structure and leads to a rooftop platform overlooking the Maas. The warehouse renovation itself was done with great care by Bureau Polderman, with support from EGM Architects on the Tornado element.
What we love here is the contrast: raw concrete, big industrial windows, and then this polished, swirling tower of steel and timber. It’s a perfect example of how adaptive reuse can become something bold without losing its history.
Below are impressions from our visit – according to a friend who engineered these type of projects earlier he said that this one is the pinnacle of perfection in its execution up to now. What do you think ?
facadeworld 
A remarkable example of integrated design and engineering. IFS Building Systems realized the complex double-curved glass roof, which was optimized by FORMHET using Rhino and custom scripting to make the curvature manufacturable. The initial geometry contained glass distortions that made fabrication impossible, while the underlying steel structure had already been frozen. By intelligently adjusting the glass geometry within strict constraints, the team delivered a highly engineered solution — with the roof being just one of the technical challenges alongside the iconic Tornado stair.
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Hi, I assume you have been involved ? Thanks for the comment !
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