New images document the Snøhetta–led Shanghai Grand Opera House as it approaches completion along the Huangpu River, with an opening anticipated in the second half of 2026. Following its winning proposal in the 2017 international competition, Snøhetta joined forces with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute, Theatre Projects, and Nagata Acoustics in 2019 to deliver the project as a consortium from concept through construction.

Positioned on the convex bank of the river, the opera house occupies a prominent site within Shanghai’s emerging cultural masterplan. Its spiraling, climbable rooftop traces a continuous sweep around the perimeter, rising from the ground in a broad arc that draws visitors upward. The gesture echoes the movement of water along the Huangpu while establishing a civic presence visible from across the waterfront.

images © Tian Fangfang, Honne Dang

snøhetta’s contextual design motifs

The roof is conceived by the architects at Snøhetta as an accessible public landscape. A helical stair links plaza and skyline to guide visitors along a steady ascent toward elevated platforms overlooking the city and riverbanks. Open throughout the day and night across the year, the roof operates as an urban stage and gathering ground, and extends the institution’s reach beyond ticketed events.

Inside, the building pairs monumentality with motion. Glazed facades introduce daylight deep into the public halls, while sculptural volumes finished in deep red curve through the interior. These forms define circulation routes and shape the sequence of arrival, framing views between foyers, stairs, and auditoriums. The experience begins well before any performance, with the dynamic architecture setting the tempo.

the Shanghai Grand Opera House rises along the bank of the Huangpu River as construction nears completion

a translucent and white material palette

The program accommodates a wide spectrum of productions, from traditional opera and orchestral repertoire to contemporary and experimental work. Multiple auditoriums of varying scale allow the institution to address different audiences and formats, reinforcing its ambition as a cultural destination across genres.

Landscape design mirrors the building’s geometry. A radial layout radiates outward from the opera house, reinforcing visual continuity between structure and site. Planting and surface treatments align with broader ecological goals within the district, contributing to a low-carbon development strategy that supports Shanghai’s long-term urban ambitions.

a spiraling roofline sweeps around the site as a continuous public promenade above the waterfront

the helical stair connects plaza and skyline to guide visitors toward elevated river views

a radial landscape layout mirrors the building’s geometry and supports low carbon goals

deep, red sculptural volumes shape circulation routes through the interior

soaring glazed facades draw daylight deep into the public halls

multiple auditoriums accommodate opera, orchestral, and experimental performances

project info:

name: Shanghai Grand Opera Hall

architect: Snøhetta | @snohetta

location: Shanghai, China
collaborators: East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects, Nagata Acoustics, schlaich bergermann partner, Meiss Architecture & Engineering Office
area: 146,786 square meters

previous coverage: April 2019, November 2023, July 2025

photography: © Tian Fangfang, © Honne Dang

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Studio ShoulderTap unveils The Turahalli House, a compact home for a family of three on a typical 9-by-12-meter plot, a standard size in many government-planned neighborhoods in India. Located near the Turahalli forest in the southern outskirts of Bangalore, the house should feel open and generous, despite its small footprint. The architects take this constraint as their starting point, conceiving the home as a series of spatial moments, a reason why the team informally refers to it as the House of Surprises.

From a distance, the red brick facade of the building stands out, contrasting sharply with the surrounding trees and sky. But the closer one gets, the more the materials and geometry begin to shift. At the base, the ground floor is finished in a dark stone with curved walls that diverge from the rectilinear upper levels. A sliding metal gate reveals a small front garden, and within it, a green, curved staircase rises above a pond as a spatial device that sets the tone for how the rest of the house will be experienced.

all images by @studio__nara

green double-height balcony punctuates The Turahalli House

The Bangalore-based team of Studio ShoulderTap intentionally carves the entry route to the Turahalli House to be indirect. Instead of walking straight into the main living areas, visitors are led past and through smaller volumes, slowly introduced to the building’s scale and logic. Eventually, the space opens into a high-ceilinged living and dining area, flanked by large windows on either side. On the southern side, a gap between a freestanding wall and the main structure becomes a light register, capturing slices of sunlight as they shift through the day. The kitchen, tucked away from direct view, remains open to the dining space and is finished in locally sourced green marble and warm wood.

As one moves up through the house, the tone begins to shift. The staircase narrows, and the volumes become more intimate, reflecting the more private nature of the upper levels. The bedrooms, though compact, are detailed with yellow triangular insets on the floors, made from a mix of Kota and Tandur stone, to contrast with the more muted palette elsewhere. A green-painted double-height balcony punctuates this level, acting as both a social space and a connector to the different levels of the house.

The topmost floor is another variation on the living space, similar in footprint but more subdued in height and atmosphere. With a balcony that looks eastward, it offers a quiet spot for hosting or reflection, removed from the activity below. Turahalli House doesn’t attempt to solve every problem with a singular architectural move, but, instead, it layers spaces, shifts volumes, and lets materials and light do some of the work. 

Studio ShoulderTap unveils The Turahalli House

this compact home accommodates a family of three

the house should feel open and generous, despite its size

a series of spatial moments

the ground floor is finished in a dark stone with curved walls

a green, curved staircase rises above a pond

this spatial device sets the tone for how the rest of the house will be experienced

the team informally refers to the project as the House of Surprises

a green-painted double-height balcony punctuates the second level

acting as both a social space and a connector to the different levels of the house

Turahalli House layers spaces, shifts volumes, and lets materials and light do the work

project info:

name: Turahalli House

architect: Studio ShoulderTap | @shoulder.tap

location: Bangalore, India

photographer: Studio NARA | @studio__nara

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In the heart of Shanghai’s Yanlord Arcadia residential complex, Pok Kobkongsanti of TROP: terrains + open space introduces Lacy Steps Garden, a nine-meter-deep sunken courtyard that serves as a sculptural landmark and a communal living space. The project becomes a ‘living core’ that connects homes, amenities, and nature across three levels.

The entire design pivots around a fluid geometric composition, anchored by a cascading staircase that stitches together the basement, ground, and second floors. As users descend, they encounter a series of unfolding scenes, including a badminton court, a swimming pool, and a tea room tucked into a shaded niche. Ascending leads to a sun-filled gym and a softly lit community library. 

all images by Chill Shine, Jayda, Yuting Lu

metal mesh facade shields Lacy Steps Garden

The distinctive metal mesh facade of Lacy Steps Garden functions like a veil, draping the void with an airy transparency. Permeable and refined, it welcomes sunlight and rain, nurturing the lush area below while diffusing glare and hard edges. Through this mesh, the landscape design team at TROP: terrains + open space echoes the language of the surrounding architecture, fostering a visual continuity between building and landscape, inside and out.

The central platform, part amphitheater, part terrace, offers a flexible stage for everyday life. Its sculpted steps and built-in seating invite a range of informal activities, from morning tai chi to impromptu performances or quiet reading. Here, architecture offers a framework for spontaneity and community, where social interaction and solitude coexist. Even the railing’s curvature is fine-tuned for comfort, transforming infrastructure into intimate experience.

At a time when private residential developments often default to decorative greenery or isolated pockets of open space, Lacy Steps Garden offers a different proposition with its sculpted landscape that operates as infrastructure, atmosphere, and social condenser.

TROP: terrains + open space introduces Lacy Steps Garden

the nine-meter-deep sunken courtyard serves as a sculptural landmark and a communal living space

the project connects homes, amenities, and nature across three levels

as users descend, they encounter a series of unfolding scenes

the distinctive metal mesh facade of Lacy Steps Garden functions like a veil

the central platform, part amphitheater, part terrace, offers a flexible stage for everyday life

architecture offers a framework for spontaneity and community

draping the void with an airy transparency

project info:

name: Yanlord Arcadia – Lacy Steps

architect: TROP: terrains + open space | @trop_terrains_openspace

location: Shanghai, China

design director: Pok Kobkongsanti

team: Fusang Ren, Kehan Zhou, Huamei Yin, Siyi Lu, Yuting Lu, Guo He, Pengtao Sang, Ke Ma

client (Party A): Shanghai Yanlord Land

construction drawings: Weimar Group

landscape contractor: Suzhou Fengde Landscape Architecture Engineering Co., Ltd.

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designboom joins designer Thomas Heatherwick and Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain inside the newly renovated Longchamp flagship, La Maison Unique, in New York. Ahead of the public opening, the duo reflects on their long-standing collaboration and presents the store’s intimate new interiors, nearly two decades after the building’s first transformation. The flagship was originally unveiled in 2006 as La Maison Unique. At that time, it marked one of Heatherwick Studio’s earliest works and has since remained a New York destination for design lovers with its ribbon-like staircase.

‘With this new space, we let loose a bit,‘ Heatherwick notes. ‘Now it has a sense of randomness which I’ve come to appreciate.’ Today, the renewed interiors offer an atmosphere that feels at once familiar and transformed. It is attuned to a different cultural rhythm, but is grounded in the same spirit of invention.

images courtesy Longchamp

a partnership which started with a bag

The partnership between Heatherwick Studio and Longchamp began not with a building in New York, but with a bag. ‘This project started back to front,’ Heatherwick recalls. ‘We’d made a bag built entirely of zip.’ The unlikely origin speaks to the designer‘s fascination with scale and material, a thread that carries through from product design, to architecture, to urban planning. Originally, the design of La Maison Unique faced an immediate dilemma — a compressed street-level footprint and an expansive upper floor. ‘We had to lure people upward,’ Heatherwick tells designboom. ‘That became the problem to solve.’ The result is a sweeping sculptural staircase, a ribbon-like hillside that cuts through the building and functions as both a circulation system and an interior landscape.

In its current iteration, this now-iconic staircase returns updated in the brand‘s Energy Green, further referencing the gently climbing hillside which it mimics. ‘We’re not retail designers,’ Heatherwick says. ‘Our passion is making places that connect with people’s emotions.’ His approach here is at once about the display and the journey.

Heatherwick’s Longchamp flagship reopens with renewed interiors nearly two decades after its 2006 debut

towards intimacy and randomness

Material gestures guide the experience throughout. Industrial columns are wrapped in carpeting which swells into swirling green rugs, an inversion of the expected. ‘Carpets want to be flat,’ Heatherwick reminds us. ‘So we wanted to do the opposite.’ The team worked with heritage French textile maker Lelièvre to wrap these structural elements in a tactile softness so that they blur the line between structure and furniture. In transforming an industrial space into a living room, Heatherwick Studio embraces these obstacles with a playful solution.

The second floor is curated with vintage mid-century pieces — croissant-shaped sofas, Gio Ponti tables, and Danish bar stools. Some furnishings were designed by Heatherwick’s team, while others were sourced to align with Longchamp’s postwar beginnings. ‘It’s a reference to the beginnings of our brand,‘ says Cassegrain. ‘And to the idea that retail doesn’t need to be rigid. The looseness makes it feel more like a home.’ Interspersed among the furniture are archival Longchamp objects, each bringing another layer of history and handcraft.

the new design retains the signature ribbon staircase, now in Energy Green to draw visitors upward

For Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain, the updated New York flagship, La Maison Unique, reflects how retail itself has changed over two decades. ‘We used to think in terms of efficiency,’ he explains. ‘Now we think in terms of comfort.’ The renewed space embraces this shift. The laminated logic no longer informs every decision. Instead, interiors open toward plush seating and vintage design objects. ‘We give more space to the customer,’ Cassegrain explained. ‘We want them to feel welcomed, and to linger.’ There is a sense that the store has transitioned from a dramatic display case to welcoming salon.

While many of Heatherwick Studio’s spatial ideas remain from the original 2006 intervention, the renovation of Longchamp’s New York flagship marks a tonal departure. ‘We were more rigid back then,’ said Heatherwick. ‘Everything followed a north-south logic. Now we’ve let go a little. There’s a softness, an ad-hocness.’ This evolution is intentional. Even the light now reaches deeper into the space, thanks to newly opened sightlines across the facade. Instead of controlling every gesture, the design now welcomes imperfections and interactions.

interiors blend structure with furniture and shelving that emerge from the floor and ceiling

carpeted columns created with French textile maker Lelièvre soften the industrial building

vintage furniture and archival objects reference Longchamp’s midcentury origins

the renewed space prioritizes comfort and emotional connection over efficiency

welcoming new interiors encourage lingering and social interaction

project info:

name: La Maison Unique

architecture: Heatherwick Studio | @officialheatherwickstudio

brand: Longchamp | @longchamp

location: 132 Spring Street, New York, NY

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Expo 2025 Osaka’s France Pavilion, designed by Coldefy and CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati, is envisioned as a permeable, performative space — what the architects describe as a ‘theater of life’. Located near the expo’s main entrance on Yumeshima Island, the structure employs a layered design strategy to pose both a threshold and a gathering space, defined by a striking copper-clad staircase. This sculptural feature forms part of the facade and draws movement into the public realm before winding through the pavilion and doubling as an elevated viewing platform. 

Around it, the 3,600-square-meter building is veiled in suspended fabric curtains, 17 meters high, which animate the facade in response to wind and light. Overhead, a ceiling of suspended acrylic rods filters natural illumination, contributing to the pavilion’s ephemeral character. Visitors are thus invited to observe and participate, navigating a series of spatial transitions that foreground the relationship between human activity and the built environment.

all images by Julien Lanoo © Coldefy & CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

coldefy & carlo ratti create a ‘theater of life’

This staging of experience is deliberate. ‘Both actors and spectators in this production, visitors traverse a path through the pavilion that is an expression of the symbiosis between humanity and its environment,’ notes Thomas Coldefy of French studio Coldefy. ‘Above all, the design seeks to create a welcoming space that is open and accessible to all.’ The staircase, which might traditionally be an internal element, emphasizes this as it is here externalized as it blurs boundaries between inside and out, individual and collective. At the same time, it serves as a symbolic gesture, echoing the broader theme of Expo 2025 Osaka: Designing Future Society for Our Lives.

Italian practice CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati frames the project within the context of architectural discourse itself. At a time when the relevance of the universal exposition is increasingly under review, the pavilion responds both with monumentality and a nuanced investigation of form and function. ‘We must seek new ways to imagine the relationship between the natural and artificial,’ architect Carlo Ratti explains, ‘combining different forms of intelligence, whether organic or technological, to redefine connections between people and their environments.’

France Pavilion is envisioned as a permeable, performative space

the porous pavilion balances enclosure and exposure

This question of balance, veering between monumental scale and subtlety, enclosure and exposure, runs through the entire concept of the France Pavilion. The choice of materials, from the polished copper stair to the diaphanous curtains, lends the building both presence and impermanence, allowing it to stand out while remaining porous. The pavilion further proposes itself as an open-ended framework that adapts to visitors’ movements, encourages spontaneous interactions, and foregrounds the experiential over the objectified. In doing so, it aligns with broader efforts to rethink the role of national pavilions at global events — particularly to demonstrate the role of architecture as a platform for dialogue and a stage for human life.

designed by Coldefy and CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati

posing both a threshold and a gathering space, the facade is defined by a striking copper-clad staircase

veiled in suspended fabric curtains, 17 meters high, which animate the facade in response to wind and light

the staircase doubles as an elevated viewing platform. 

located near the expo’s main entrance on Yumeshima Island

project info:

name: France Pavilion

architect: Coldefy | @coldefy.fr, Carlo Ratti Associati | @crassociati

location: Osaka, Japan

event: Expo 2025 Osaka | @expo2025japan

dates: April 13th — October 13th, 2025

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In Nanjing’s centuries-old Qinhuai River district, where tiled rooftops and stone alleys express the area’s layered history, Dayi Design completes a bold intervention titled Red Lobster. With the renovation project, the architects reimagine heritage without erasing it. The 2,000-square-meter crayfish-themed restaurant and retail space is less a renovation than a recalibration, an architectural weaving of old and new.

‘This area exudes an atmosphere rich with cultural depth and the lively essence of everyday life,’ the architects explain. But rather than cordon off history as artifact, Dayi Design roots Red Lobster in continuity. The result is a highly tactile, walkable, and visually dramatic urban experience, all threaded together by a vibrant outdoor stair. The project at once draws from its surroundings and offers something entirely new.

images © Cong Lin

dayi design demonstrates adaptive reuse

Preserving historical architecture, according to the architects at Dayi Design, is not about wrapping it in reverence. At Red Lobster, they’ve demonstrated how adaptive reuse can bring new energy to aging spaces: ‘The optimal approach to safeguarding historical monuments isn’t through mere veneration but by making them accessible, tactile, and functional.’ The site was approached with restraint — minimal demolition, maximum reuse — and a clear goal of long-term sustainability.

Instead of treating heritage like porcelain, Dayi Design handled it like clay. Removed architectural elements were reused, Taihu stones collected and re-integrated, and the new interventions, most notably the dramatic, sculptural red staircase, were installed with a conscious gap between past and present, physically and conceptually.

Dayi Design transforms a historic site along Nanjing’s Qinhuai River into a new retail space

a staircase to evoke a Crimson Dragon

At the heart of Dayi Design’s Red Lobster is a red steel staircase that snakes from the ground floor to the roof like a dragon coiled around a scroll. ‘The staircases’ sinuous forms, reminiscent of a protective dragon, weave through the dense architectural landscape, creating a striking visual contrast,’ the architects note. Their bright red hue slices through the muted tones of the traditional buildings, an electrifying punctuation mark within the historic fabric.

The staircase is not only an aesthetic gesture. ‘Form should serve function,’ say the architects, and this structure lives up to that mantra: linking previously disconnected ‘islands’ of the site, doubling as a fire escape, and offering shelter from rain at the ground level. Along its path, visitors are offered new glimpses of Nanjing’s iconic Dabaoen Temple, an architectural promenade that reveals itself in stages.

Red Lobster blends old and new through adaptive reuse and sensitive architectural intervention

If the staircase is Red Lobster’s backbone, the material palette is its skin. Dayi Design fused glass, metal, and modern construction with the silhouette of traditional Chinese architecture to create what it describes as a ‘Cyber Chinese Style.’ The result is a complex layering of time periods: past, present, and a speculative future all coexist in harmony.

This hybridity is the project’s driving logic. ‘We blend modern materials with classical styles,’ the team explains, using simplified forms to allude to tradition without mimicking it. The effect is one of deep-rooted familiarity with a jolt of the unexpected, like walking through a temple and finding a portal.

In every detail of Red Lobster, Dayi Design shows how careful interventions can inject new life into historic places without stripping them of their identity. By using local materials, avoiding invasive construction, and keeping additions structurally independent, they’ve crafted a space that respects both the past and the planet.

preservation is prioritized as the space is accessible, functional, and rooted in daily life

a red staircase connects previously separate buildings while evoking the form of a protective dragon

strategic views of Dabaoen Temple are revealed along the staircase

modern materials like steel and glass reinterpret classical Chinese architecture in a ‘cyber’ inspired style

sustainability is emphasized through the reuse of local materials and minimal structural alteration

project info:

name: Red Lobster (Big Red Crayfish)

architect: Dayi Design

location: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

lead designer: Zhou Yi

assistant designer: Chang Haoyi, Yang Shizhe

area: 2,500 square meters

completion: June, 2024

client name: Nanjing Big Red Crayfish

photographer: © Cong Lin

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DoDesign unveils Drifting Stones: The Stacks & The Hut, a sculptural intervention nestled within the secluded mountain valleys of Chongqing, China. A stacked stone staircase and a stone pavilion compose this project, conceived as a meditative retreat within a private residence. These two architectural elements engage in poetic dialogue with the surrounding cliffs, streams, and boulders. Visitors can ascend the layered rock formations of The Stacks to take in sweeping views of the landscape or step into The Hut, where mirrored surfaces unite built space and nature. The project fuses raw materiality with contemporary elements like glass and steel, creating an immersive spatial experience.

all images by Arch-Exist Photography, unless stated otherwise

veined granite boulder inspires Drifting Stones project

The Drifting Stones project was not initially planned but emerged from a serendipitous encounter with a massive, naturally positioned rock during a site visit. This horizontally veined granite boulder, resting in the center of the valley, evoked the aura of a lost artifact, inspiring the architects at DoDesign to turn it into a contemplative resting space. The team aims to create an architectural presence that blends and contrasts with nature at the same time, embodying the concept of ‘extraordinary nature.’

Due to the site’s constraints, the project employed an artificial stone construction method, using a steel framework coated with a cement surface mixed with local stone powder. Skilled artisans meticulously chiseled textures into the material, echoing the patterns of the surrounding rock formations. The interplay of raw, weighty stone and reflective, ephemeral mirrors creates a striking contrast that accentuates the dialogue between nature and the built environment.

conceived as a meditative retreat within a private residence

The Stacks & The Hut disappear into the landscape

The Stacks consists of ten stacked stone slabs, arranged to create a walkable path with a rhythmic ascent from the stream’s edge to the mountain wall, with the final slabs projecting outward in a delicate cantilever. Beneath the stone staircase, a concealed reception space enclosed by frameless glass offers panoramic views of the valley. Mirrored cladding on selected structural elements creates the illusion of weightlessness, making parts of the architecture visually dissolve into their surroundings.

Set apart from the staircase, The Hut completes DoDesign’s Drifting Stones project. Accessible via a cobblestone pathway and functioning as a secluded restroom pavilion, its fully mirrored surfaces reflect the dense foliage, rendering it almost invisible within the forest. A massive six-meter-long boulder seems to float above the structure, forming the roof. Below, a semi-outdoor washbasin is illuminated by a skylight, a subtle reference to the natural erosion of stone by water over time.

this sculptural intervention is nestled within the secluded mountain valleys of Chongqing, China

these two architectural elements engage in poetic dialogue with the surrounding cliffs, streams, and boulders

the layered rock formations of ‘The Stacks’ offer sweeping views of the landscape | image by DoDesign

mirrored surfaces unite built space and nature

the project fuses raw materiality with contemporary element

the use of glass and steel creates an immersive spatial experience

Drifting Stones emerged from a serendipitous encounter with a massive rock

the team aims to create an architectural presence that blends and contrasts with nature

project info:

name: Drifting Stones: The Stacks & The Hut

architect: DoDesign | @dodesign_works

location: Chongqing, China
building area: 125 square meters

design team: Shiyang Chen, Ruoyun Xu, Zhengmeng Dong, Zhiheng Wu, Xinchun Xu, Xingbo Liu
photographers: Arch-Exist Photography | @archexist, DoDesign 

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In the heart of Vedanthangal, Tamil Nadu, India, the 139-square-meter residence VAAZH by VY Architecture Studio respects the regional biodiversity while introducing contemporary spatial principles. Rooted in the commitment of the firm to embracing local ecosystems, the home balances indoor-outdoor living, passive cooling techniques, and a sculptural interplay of light and shadow.

A defining feature of VAAZH is its curvilinear wall, which winds through the central courtyard. More than an aesthetic gesture, this wall becomes a climatic buffer, shielding interiors from the harsh western sun while casting intricate shadows on the oxide flooring. As the sunlight passes through the perforations in the wall, it creates shadows reminiscent of dappled sunlight filtering through foliage, adding a poetic dimension to the space. This organic form extends beyond its role as a partition, transforming into an unconventional staircase allowing movement through different levels of the house.

all images by Syam Sreesylam, courtesy of VY Architecture Studio

regional and sustainable materials clad VAAZH residence in india

The Indian team at VY Architecture Studio follows a traditional spatial hierarchy when organizing the layout, beginning with the thinnai—a raised verandah that serves as a transition between public and private realms. At its core, the open courtyard serves as a thermal regulator, promoting cross-ventilation and natural illumination. 

Materials and construction techniques are rooted in sustainability and regional identity. Compressed earth blocks, mud, and river rocks reduce the carbon footprint of VAAZH house while enhancing thermal mass. Strategically placed openings frame ever-changing views of the Vedanthangal landscape, transforming walls into living canvases that evolve with the seasons. Functional spaces are designed with sensitivity to local customs and contemporary needs. The kitchen, positioned next to the courtyard for easy access, facilitates outdoor dining, while the bedrooms are infused with earthy tones and filtered daylight. The rooftop expands the living experience beyond stargazing and birdwatching, offering a corner within the house for leisure.

Beyond its architectural merits, VAAZH employs sustainable strategies, including passive cooling, rainwater harvesting, and solar energy integration. The courtyard acts as a natural rain collection point, with the perforated, curved wall guiding monsoon waters into a sensory cascade. Solar panels ensure energy self-sufficiency, reducing reliance on external power sources.

the curved wall becomes a climatic buffer, shielding interiors from the harsh western sun

this organic form extends beyond its role as a partition

the home balances indoor-outdoor living

the open courtyard serves as a thermal regulator

respecting the regional biodiversity

the curvilinear wall winds through the central courtyard

the thinnai—a raised verandah serves as a transition between public and private realms

wooden pieces of furniture complete the interiors

the courtyard acts as a natural rain collection point

project info:

name: VAAZH

architects: VY Architecture Studio | @vy_architecture_studio

location: Vedanthangal, Tamil Nadu, India

area: 139 square meters (1,500 square feet) 

photographer: Syam Sreesylam | @syam.photographer

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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 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.’

image © Henry Verhorst

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.

image via ‘Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado’

image via ‘Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado’

image via ‘Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado’

image via ‘Ma Yansong: Journey to Design the Fenix Tornado’

Ma Yansong at Fenix, image © Mark Bolk

Fenix interior view, image © Wilbert Zuiderduin

project info:

name: Fenix Museum of Migration | @Fenix

architect: MAD Architects | @madarchitects
collaborators: Bureau Polderman, Droom en Daad Foundation

location: Rotterdam, Netherlands


completion: expected May 16th, 2025

previous coverage: November 2023, October 2024

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MAD Architects completes the final phase of the Tornado staircase installation, a striking feature that tops Rotterdam’s Fenix Museum of Migration (see previous coverage here). Rising 30 meters through the repurposed warehouse, the centerpiece is clad in 297 polished stainless-steel panels and culminates in a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the city and harbor. The top canopy, which was manufactured in Groningen, was craned into place after being transported by boat.

The staircase, with its spiral form, ascends through the museum’s atrium, providing circulation and a symbolic connection between the past and present. Its twisting shape echoes the flow of migration, while its undulating movement represents the paths of countless journeys. The sculptural element merges with the industrial character of the existing Fenix Warehouse, a historically significant site that is being repurposed as a cultural space.

all images by Frank Hanswijk, via @madarchitects

the double-helix centerpiece reflects on migration stories

Designed by MAD Architects in collaboration with Bureau Polderman, the Tornado staircase’s double-helix wooden structure leads to a viewpoint overlooking the harbor, reinforcing the Fenix Museum of Migration’s theme of movement and global exchange. Its design allows visitors to experience the space from multiple perspectives, uniting the structure with its surroundings.

As visitors follow its path, the staircase allows visual connection to the museum’s exhibits, encouraging reflection on the personal and collective stories of migration. The final phase saw the completion of key elements, including the top platform that provides views of Rotterdam’s waterfront. With the completion of the Tornado staircase, the architects bring to life an architectural feature that becomes a symbolic centerpiece of the museum. The form symbolizes the journeys of migrants, reflecting the museum’s focus on the stories that have shaped Rotterdam.

MAD Architects completes the final phase of the Tornado staircase installation

ROTTERDAM’S FENIX MUSEUM OF MIGRATION SET TO OPEN IN 2025

Rotterdam’s Fenix Museum of Migration, located within the historic Fenix Warehouse, is the world’s first cultural space dedicated to exploring the stories of migration that have shaped the city and the world. MAD Architects’ renovation preserves the warehouse’s original structure while introducing contemporary features like the Tornado staircase, with its spiraling form, which serves as a functional architectural element and a symbolic installation. Visitors are invited to go up the 550-meter staircase, gaining new perspectives of the city and the museum’s exhibitions along the way.

The Fenix Museum of Migration is expected to open its doors to the public in 2025.

the striking feature tops Rotterdam’s Fenix Museum of Migration

rising 30 meters through the repurposed warehouse, the centerpiece is clad in 297 polished stainless-steel panels

the top canopy was craned into place after being transported by boat

Fenix Museum of Migration is expected to open its gates in 2025

the staircase, with its spiral form, ascents through the museum’s atrium

reinforcing the Fenix Museum’s theme global exchange, the double-helix structure overlookings the harbor

as visitors ascend, the staircase allows visual connection to the museum’s exhibits

project info:

name: Fenix Museum of Migration | @Fenix

architect: MAD Architects | @madarchitects
collaborators: Bureau Polderman

location: Rotterdam, Netherlands


expected completion: 2025

previous coverage: November 2023
photography: Frank Hanswijk |  @frank_hanswijk

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