A New Chapter for Rotterdam: Fenix by Ma Yansong / MAD Architects to Open May 2025

I'm interested in the relationship between the organic creation by nature and the one of humans. The beginning of this fascination departs from my recollections of old Beijing. There used to be organic courtyards and hutong gardens that live in harmony with nature. The city was a playground without boundaries. It was hard to determine where the house ended and nature began. Without boundaries you can easily capture and feel emotions. But buildings do not only work as a medium to interact with their present environment. Over time people store memories of the past and wishes for the future. When we were asked to work on Phoenix we knew we had to create a dialogue with the existing building, its surrounding and its history. The warehouse has a vast memory and a rich past made of human stories of departure and arrival. 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. Phoenix 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 the journey. As you walk up it's a staircase. The past connects with the future to bring you to the present. 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.