International architecture practice MAD was commissioned by the Rotterdam-based Droom en Daad Foundation to give the former warehouse a new lease of life as a cultural destination
Photography by Proloog
Led by Ma Yansong, international architecture practice MAD Architects, was commissioned by the Rotterdam-based Droom en Daad Foundation to help transform a riverfront warehouse into a new cultural destination as the city’s Dance House, or Danshuis.
Offering training and rehearsal facilities, the building will house fully-equipped theatres, several dance studios and exhibition spaces, welcoming dancers from the Netherlands and countries from all over the world.
With the new project, the Droom en Daad Foundation aims to shine the spotlight on the city of Rotterdam as a global leader in art and culture. By transforming an old warehouse on the south bank of the Mas River, the Danshuis will stand as a symbol of creativity and inclusion.
Photography by Proloog
Shaping the next generation of artists and dancers, the Danshuis will provide a vibrant place for the exchange of world dance culture with the aim to foster cultural vibrancy in the city of Rotterdam and community development through arts and culture.
MAD Architects preserved and supported the warehouse‘s structural integrity while also introducing new features. Ma Yansong designed a yellow seagull sculpture on the landscaped terrace on the second floor of the Danshuis along with red neon signs facing the river.
At the heart of the top floor, MAD designed an open-air, semi-circular theatre, a nod to the Ancient Greek Agora gathering spaces that served as a meeting ground for various activities of the citizens, and a place where the public could come together through a shared love of the arts.
Photography by Proloog
‘Dance is a flowing art of space. To emphasise that and to respect the locality and history of the building, we decided to make minimal changes to the original structure, but just to add art installations in conversation with the environment,’ says Yansong.
‘With this second commission from Droom en Daad Foundation, we hope to highlight Rotterdam’s yearning for freedom and embracing of diverse global cultures. The Fenix Museum of Migration and the Danshuis are closely linked and will also look to the future together in Rotterdam’s century-old port.’
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