FOCUS ON (RE)WRITING STORIES

Photos: Iwan Baan

Adding a new chapter to the story of architecture

ARCHITECTURE TODAY IS AS MUCH ABOUT IMAGINATION AS IT IS ABOUT LISTENING: TO HISTORY, CONTEXT, AND THE COMMUNITY. IT MARKS THE END OF THE ERA IN WHICH ARCHITECTS WERE ADMIRED AS ‘LONE WOLVES’ WITH BOLD IDEAS, IN FAVOUR OF THOSE WHO POSITION THEMSELVES AS STORYTELLERS AND TEAM PLAYERS.

From modernism to ‘starchitecture’

For much of the 20th century, modernist architecture seemed to approach building sites as blank canvases. Without responding to a particular local context, buildings tended to be sleek - sometimes clinically so. The architect was seen as a solo operating visionary, imposing bold ideas from above. This idea persisted well into the era of the ‘starchitect’ during the 1990s and 2000s, during which a blend of technical virtuosity and machismo was translated into iconic, sculptural buildings that became symbols of individual genius and global ambition

A context-sensitive mindset

That narrative has shifted. Today’s architecture is less about world domination, and more about dialogue. Buildings of this new generation embrace a site’s immediate context: its history, people, and unique sense of place. One way this approach manifests is through adaptive reuse; repurposing old buildings rather than demolishing them, by layering the old with the new. And we see this also in new constructions, maintaining a sense of place is at the forefront of the design approach. It results in buildings that honour local stories, materials, and scale.

A new role for the architect

This evolution has resulted in a shift in the architect’s role; no longer the stubborn auteur, but a collaborator, a listener, and a translator all at once, weaving together the expertise of community members, policy makers, activists and historians into one coherent story. The act of rewriting spaces requires care, purpose, and a respect for what already exists. And the most powerful spaces today aren’t those that shout, but those that speak - clearly, eloquently, and meaningfully - to their environment.

FENIX Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Fenix, a former port warehouse on Rotterdam’s Katendrecht peninsula, was once a departure point for millions of migrants heading to the Americas, South Africa, and the Gulf States. Over a century later, it continues that role through stories and art.

A warehouse reimagined as a museum

Opened with much fanfare in 2025, Fenix is a former warehouse from 1923 that has been reimagined as a museum dedicated to the human experience of migration in all its forms. The transformation was led by a transcontinental team that fits the brief. The Rotterdam locals of Bureau Polderman took care of the restoration works, and the Chinese firm MAD Architects designed the so-called rooftop ‘Tornado’. The original structure was preserved where possible, its halls have been adapted for large-scale exhibitions, and window frames restored to their 1923 appearance.

The original structure was preserved where possible and window frames restored to their 1923 appearance.

A covered neighbourhood meeting space

The building has long-standing ties to its surroundings. Katendrecht was home to some of Rotterdam’s earliest migrant communities. Mainland Europe’s first Chinatown developed here, and many Cape Verdean sailors and Surinamese musicians made it their own. To reinforce this local connection, a new 2,000m² covered public square has been made part of the museum creating a flexible, accessible space for shared dinners, markets, and events organised with the neighbourhood.

Staircase towards a viewing platform

Fenix’s eye catcher is the Tornado, a stainless-steel, double-helix staircase that spirals 30 metres to the roof. More than a sculptural icon, it was designed as a metaphor for the migration journey - uncertain, disorienting, yet full of chance encounters. From the top, visitors can look back on what they’ve seen inside, and look out over the harbour, where countless journeys once began.

ARCHITECT: MAD ARCHITECTS, BUREAU POLDERMAN

PHOTO: IWAN BAAN

Migration comes full-circle

SEOULLO 7017 SKYGARDEN Seoul, South

An overpass that once facilitated Seoul’s industrial development is now the breeding ground for a different kind of growth: biodiversity and social connectivity. This shift is at the heart of what it means to rewrite space, through building upon what pre-exists and reconciling history with contemporary urban needs.

What to do with an obsolete expressway?

In the 1960s and 70s, Seoul constructed its first expressways. Over the following decades, the expanding network of roads reflected the rise of the car and Korea’s transformation into an industrial and economic powerhouse. Part of the road network was the Seoul Station Overpass, connecting a market, a station area and several parks. By 2006, it no longer met safety standards, and the city had to decide: demolish or rethink?

Rather than tearing it down, the city launched a collaborative process.

Collective redesign

Rather than tearing it down, the city launched a collaborative process. Municipal authorities consulted experts and local residents to explore new uses for the 9,661m² structure. Together, they envisioned a transformation from transit artery to a 17m high public space. The decision marked a shift in urban priorities - from car access to ecological and social value.

An urban nursery

Architecture firm MVRDV designed the ‘Skygarden’, a 1024m long elevated park and plant library, with alphabetically arranged native Korean species. The design also includes cafés, flower stalls and greenhouses, creating a lively public environment. Skygarden stands as a clear example of how existing infrastructure can be reclaimed and rewritten - turning a relic of industrial growth into a future-facing public landscape.

ARCHITECT: MVRDV

PHOTO: OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE

Connecting the city through greenery

PHOTO: OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE

KUNSTSILO Kristiansand, Norway

Kunstsilo is a bold architectural transformation that shows how industrial heritage can be preserved, reimagined, and infused with cultural relevance. Not just through adding new elements, but by taking away parts of the original construction to make its essence more palpable.

An icon of functionalist architecture

Kristiansand is a harbour town shaped like an archipelago, located on Norway’s southern coast. In the 1930s, a local mill commissioned a new storage facility that could hold up to 15,000 tons of grain. Arne Korsmo and Sverre Aasland, two promising young architects, designed a 38m tall silo building reflecting the latest ideas of international, functionalist architecture. After the mill closed in 2008, the local council decided that this landmark, defined by its thirty towering silos, should be preserved and given a new purpose. However, it took seven years - and several failed redevelopment attempts - for the right opportunity to finally emerge.

Carving up to 21m in height upwards into the silos, creating a cathedral-like void at the heart of the building.

From grain silo to cultural cathedral

In 2015, the local Sørlandet Art Collection received a generous two-part donation from businessman Nicolai Tangen: an extensive collection of Norwegian art, along with the visionary idea to house all three of the museum’s collections in the vacant silo building. An international team of Mestres Wåge Arquitectes, BAX and Mendoza Partida won the design competition for the new museum. They responded to the challenge by proposing a bold concept; carving up to 21m in height upwards into the silos, creating a cathedral-like void at the heart of the building.

Keeping the building’s industrial past visible

Around the central void, the architects have added clean, geometric additions that fit the building’s original functionalist design. The box-shaped exhibition spaces contrast with the curved silos. Each gallery features windows that overlook both the central hall and the city’s harbour, enhancing wayfinding while keeping the building’s original story present at all times.

ARCHITECTS: MESTRES WÅGE ARQUITECTES, BAX AND MENDOZA PARTIDA

PHOTO: ALAN WILLIAMS

Industrial heritage transformed into a cathedral for art

PHOTO: ALAN WILLIAMS