MAD, the architecture studio founded by Ma Yansong, has revealed the designs for Danshuis, a new dance center planned for Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Located on a landmark site in the city's historic docklands, adjacent to the Fenix Museum of Migration, also designed by MAD, the project is expected to open in 2030. The 9,500-square-meter center will transform an Art Deco warehouse dating from 1923 on the south bank of the River Maas. Planned as a center for the production, development, and practice of dance across different styles, Danshuis aims to bring together professional and amateur programs for different ages and levels of experience.
The project will introduce 14 dance studios alongside an open podium, gym, exhibition space, and café. A rooftop Salle des Fêtes will accommodate large-scale public programs, while providing views across Rotterdam's historic harbor. The building's different levels will be connected by a vertical foyer extending through the structure and linking the main spaces with the rooftop venue. Extensive outdoor areas are also planned along the riverfront. The design positions movement and public activity as key elements of the building's relationship with its surroundings, creating a connection between Danshuis and the adjacent Fenix Museum.
The plans are being developed by Rotterdam-based Droom en Daad Foundation, which has been involved in several cultural developments in the city, including the Fenix Museum of Migration, which opened in 2025. The center will provide spaces for dance education, production, rehearsal, performance, exhibitions, and public programming, with the aim of connecting local communities and international dance professionals within a single venue.
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MVRDV Wins Competition to Design Shift Embassy in Rotterdam"Movement goes beyond architecture, becoming part of the character of the district. The beauty of human movement and the moments of dance will resonate with Fenix, creating a continuous dialogue between the two," said Ma Yansong, founder and principal partner of MAD. The design extends the cultural program already established around the Fenix Museum, adding a building centered on movement and performance to the waterfront district.
Other recent project news include Stefano Boeri Architetti's winning proposal for approximately 190 affordable rental apartments in Ibiza, AART's competition-winning design for a 1,300-square-meter underground extension to Copenhagen's Rosenborg Castle, and MVRDV's newly revealed WOMA development in Miami's Wynwood Norte. Named Sa Casa, Boeri's scheme combines prefabricated timber construction with adaptable layouts and shared open spaces, while AART's proposal places new exhibition areas beneath Rosenborg's historic moat. In Miami, MVRDV's WOMA aims to transform the site of a former coffee roasting company into a mixed-use development alongside the Bakehouse Art Complex, drawing on the area's industrial and creative character.
