On a wind-swept dock in Rotterdam, a gleaming spiral staircase rises 30 metres into the sky—an invitation to climb into migrant histories etched into steel and memory. Welcome to the Fenix Museum of Migration, a living testament to the journeys both past and present.
A Dockside Revival of Human Stories
Once part of the Holland America Line’s vast warehouse, the Fenix building has been transformed into a 16,000 m² museum dedicated to migration. It stands as a bridge between industrial heritage and living narratives, symbolizing how places in flux can carry the weight of human movement.
The location—Katendrecht, a former Chinatown and red-light district—now hums with diversity. Rotterdam, home to over 170 nationalities, is the ideal host for a center exploring the “timeless and universal” phenomenon of migration.
The Tornado: Architecture as Metaphor
At the heart of the museum stands the “Tornado”: a stainless-steel, double-helix staircase designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. Meant to evoke the unexpected, winding paths of migrants, the Tornado pierces the roof, symbolizing motion and hope.
Inside, raw concrete and sunlight blend to evoke both permanence and impermanence—a fitting paradox capturing the duality of migration.
Exhibits: A Tapestry of Migration
The museum balances art, artefacts, and testimonials:
- The Suitcase Labyrinth: over 2,000 personal cases from 1898 to 2022, each carrying intimate stories—like that of Willemine, who fled to China in 1911 and later became a suffragette, all via objects in a brown suitcase.
- The Family of Migrants photo series: 194 curated portraits reflecting diaspora and belonging.
- Red Grooms’ bus: a colorful, life-sized textile sculpture visitors can walk through, filled with characters embodying New York’s immigrant essence.
- Yinka Shonibare’s astronaut: a net-wrapped figure carrying worldly objects, prompting us to reconsider the idea of “home” even in space.
Each piece gently counters stereotypes and invites reflection, aligning with the museum’s goal: “migration is not always a story of suffering”.
Nuanced Storytelling in a Charged Political Climate
Opening on 16 May 2025, the museum arrives as Europe’s debates over immigration grow more divisive. The Netherlands, under far‑right influence, reinstated border controls the same year.
Yet Fenix stands as a counterweight. Anne Kremers, its director, emphasizes that it is “not political but it is urgent.” Its narrative aims not to lecture, but to foster empathy by sharing real lives and personal motivations.
As the civil servant told Positive News, “It’s not for us to tell people how they should feel about migration… We just want to enrich the view that people have about it”.
Vibrant From Gritty Origins
Katendrecht’s transformation—from warehouses to gentrified art hub—mirrors the museum’s journey: from functional storage to expressive platform.
The refurbished industrial space, preserved in concrete and equipped with vast windows, offers sweeping views of Rotterdam’s skyline—a landscape of movement and global exchange.
The Heartbeat: People and Community
The museum extends beyond exhibits:
- A public square (“Plein”) hosts festivals, markets, and communal meals, echoing Rotterdam’s multicultural pulse.
- Suitcase narratives reach far—from a Ukrainian refugee’s 2022 Samsonite to a Dutchwoman emigrating to China in 1898, the collection underscores migration’s multi-centennial arcs.
- Personal stories, like Ernst Feekes recounting his grandmother’s saga, add emotional resonance: “She packed it all in a large brown suitcase”.
Fourth Key Point: Migration as Human Experience
Central to the museum’s mission is its celebration of migration’s humanity—not as numbers or crises, but as journeys shaped by love, work, resilience, and identity.
Anne Kremers states:
“Migration is not always a story of suffering… People also uproot themselves for love, for work, for adventure”.
This focus on nuance—presenting diverse experiences, motivations, and emotions—ensures visitors walk away with understanding, not judgement.
Why It Matters
- Balances the narrative in a time of rising xenophobia and institutional disconnection from migrant stories.
- Fosters empathy by showcasing real voices and personal artefacts.
- Revives overlooked heritage by valorizing Rotterdam’s multicultural memory.
- Encourages action—from dialogue to civic engagement—by grounding migration in lived human experience.
Closing Reflection
Climbing the Tornado, visitors rise through layers of story, steel, and hope. They descend carrying more than memories—they carry renewed empathy, awareness, and connection to the global movement of people. In doing so, Fenix lights the way toward a future shaped by understanding.
