VNC Cultural Visit to FENIX Museum & Ma Yansong Exhibition
Visit to FENIX Migration Museum and Encounter with Architect Ma Yansong
On 26 June, VNC (Association of the Netherlands China) made an impressive cultural journey through migration, remembrance and architecture in Rotterdam.
At the FENIX Migration Museum we walked past moving stories of displacement and resilience – told through art, photography and even the suitcases that migrants once took with them. They were not just exhibitions, but living memories.
The architectural heart of the museum is the breathtaking ‘Tornado’ staircase, designed by world-renowned Chinese architect Ma Yansong. The spiral staircase – as a force of movement and hope – represents the essence of migration: constant change, reinvention and emotional depth.
Ma Yansong’s architectural vision – exhibition at Het Nieuwe Instituut
Later we visited the exhibition on the architecture of Ma Yansong in the Nieuwe Instituut. The exhibition showcased Ma’s most important projects – from his first work after graduating from Yale University to his internationally award-winning designs in recent years. We admired Ma Yansong’s visionary work – from mountainous skyscrapers in Beijing to sea-inspired libraries and forest-like train stations. His philosophy of interweaving natural landscapes with architectural forms – brought together in the concept of the Shanshui City (mountain-water-city) – has earned him a prominent place in the world of contemporary architecture. With Shanshui, Ma redefines architecture as poetry: a fusion of nature, emotion and form.
The exhibition highlighted several signature projects that showcase Ma’s unique vision and poetic, flowing lines, heavily inspired by Chinese landscape painting. Some examples were:
- Chaoyang Park Plaza (Beijing):
Inspired by natural mountain formations, it breaks the rigidity of the traditional urban skyline. - Lecheng Courtyard Kindergarten (Beijing):
Based on the traditional courtyard structure, the design combines security and openness, creating a stimulating environment for discovery and learning. - Cloudscape or Haikou (library):
A sculptural public building that resembles a cave carved out by the sea, with a dynamic play of light and air. - Jiaxing Railway Station:
China’s first “forest station”, in which architecture and nature come together through a deepened design and green public spaces.
In conversation with Ma Yansong – between vision and reality
After the exhibition, we attended a lecture by Ma Yansong. He shared his journey from Yale to world fame. His return to China was during the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games. At the time, most prestigious projects went to foreign architects, and as a young, unknown Chinese designer, he struggled to find opportunities. Those early years were not easy.
His breakthrough came with the Marilyn Monroe Towers in Canada – an iconic project that brought him international fame and gave a Chinese voice to the global architecture stage.
Ma also spoke about his design of the Tornado staircase at the FENIX Museum. Prior to the project, he spoke with descendants of the first Chinese immigrants in Rotterdam. Their stories of departure, uncertainty and building a new life in a foreign country touched him deeply. “Migration is essentially about movement – about leaving a place to seek a better future and create a new home,” he said. That idea of movement became the emotional and conceptual heart of the Tornado design. For Ma, architecture is more than form: It is a response to people, nature and culture. He does not see homes as monotonous constructions, but as spaces full of emotion and humanity – places with a soul. Architecture should reflect that movement and humanity.
At VNC, we believe in the power of shared stories, creative exchange and cultural bridges. This excursion not only offered us a deeper insight into migration stories, but also showed how architecture can be a means for cultural growth and dialogue. As the Netherlands China Association continues to engage in exchange in the fields of culture, art, and entrepreneurship, we are reminded that true connection comes from shared stories, mutual inspiration, and a shared vision of a more inclusive and connected world.
