MAD converts 1923 Art Deco warehouse into Danshuis, a shared house for dance in Rotterdam

# What Danshuis is and where it sits Danshuis is MAD architects' plan to convert a 1923 Art Deco warehouse on the south bank of the River Maas in Rotterdam into a dedicated centre for dance. The project reuses an existing 9,500-square-meter industrial building and is located next to Fenix, the museum of migration also designed by MAD.

# Program and facilities The converted building will host a mix of facilities for training, rehearsal, creation, and public engagement:

• Fourteen dance studios of varying sizes.
• An open podium intended for flexible performance and rehearsal use.
• A gym and exhibition space to support training and presenting work.
• A café and public circulation areas to welcome visitors and local communities.
• A rooftop Salle des Fêtes designed for large-scale public programs.

A sculptural vertical foyer will connect the building's floors and provide a spatial link to the rooftop, while outdoor areas extend toward the riverfront to activate the site.

# Program intent and audience The project is developed by Rotterdam-based Droom en Daad Foundation. Danshuis is organized to support both professional dance production and community-level activity. The centre aims to accommodate a range of ages and experience levels: professional companies, international practitioners, and amateur or local programs all share the building.

MAD positions this program as part of a broader cultural strategy along Rotterdam's waterfront. The studio describes movement as a design organizing principle and intends for Danshuis to form a dialogue with Fenix, connecting bodily movement to the district's evolving public life.

# Design moves and heritage approach Rather than demolishing the industrial shell, MAD retains the warehouse as a framework for a program in motion. Key design moves in the proposal include a translucent flowing addition that contrasts the existing solid Art Deco volume, and a vertical foyer that shapes circulation and frames views through the building toward the river.

The project treats the former harbour infrastructure as a starting point for new cultural uses, converting industrial memory into spaces for rehearsal, performance, and public events.

# Schedule and role in the waterfront

# What this means for Rotterdam Danshuis adds dedicated dance infrastructure at scale to the city's cultural mix. By combining professional facilities with community access and public-facing spaces—like the rooftop Salle des Fêtes and riverfront outdoor areas—the project intends to broaden participation in dance while reactivating a historic harbour site.

# Visual and spatial cues Renderings present a mix of retained masonry and new translucent elements, with light-filled circulation and framed views to the Maas. The design connects interior movement with exterior riverfront activity to integrate the building into the district's pedestrian and cultural flows.