Centre For Dance Danshuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Centre For Dance – Danshuis in Rotterdam, NL

1 September 2026

Architects: Ma Yansong / MAD

Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Artist impression images courtesy of MAD

Detailed designs by the internationally acclaimed Chinese architects MAD were revealed today for the new Danshuis in Rotterdam. Situated on a landmark site in the historic dock area of Rotterdam, adjacent to the recently opened Fenix museum of migration also designed by Ma Yansong/MAD, the new Danshuis is planned to open in 2030.

Danshuis will be the largest centre for the production and development of dance of all styles under one roof in Europe, open to all ages and levels of experience, and providing the best facilities for the creation of professional and amateur dance programmes.

The designs will transform the 9,500 square metres art deco building, a former warehouse dating from 1923 on the south bank of the River Maas in central Rotterdam.

Features will include fourteen state-of-the-art dance studios, an open podium, gym, exhibition space, café and a rooftop Salle des Fêtes for large scale public programmes, with sweeping views across the city’s historic harbour. The building will be seamlessly connected through a spectacular vertical foyer which will link all the floors with the Salle des Fetes, with extensive outdoor spaces facing onto the riverfront.

Danshuis reflects the reputation of the Netherlands as a global hub for contemporary and classical dance in Europe. Home to such world-famous institutions as Nederlands Dans Theater and Dutch National Ballet, and with a popular dance culture driven by internationally acclaimed Dutch DJs, the country has led the dance revolution across Europe.

Ma Yansong, Founder and Principal Partner of MAD, said:
“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.”

The plans for Danshuis have been developed by Rotterdam based Droom en Daad Foundation, also responsible for other major cultural developments in Rotterdam including the adjacent Fenix museum of migration which opened in 2025.

Laura Dufour, Director, Danshuis, and Deputy Director of the Droom en Daad Foundation, said:
“Building on the unique story of the Netherlands as a world centre for dance, we believe that Danshuis can be a meeting place, an open door to everyone, from our diverse local communities to international dance professionals to share in the joy of dance, and making a real contribution to Rotterdam as truly one of the great modern cities of culture of Europe.”

About MAD

MAD – https://www.i-mad.com/ is a global architecture studio founded in 2004 by Ma Yansong, led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun and Yosuke Hayano, with offices in Beijing, Los Angeles, and Rome. The studio approaches architecture through its relationship to culture, society and nature, to design spaces that connect environment, community and the individual.

For over two decades, MAD has pursued architecture that unites expressive form with rich spatial experiences, seeking to answer the emotional and spiritual needs of urban life. Notable works include the Harbin Opera House, China Philharmonic Concert Hall, YueCheng Courtyard Kindergarten, Jiaxing Train Station, Quzhou Sports Park, Hainan Science Museum, Tencent Tengyun Center, Shenzhen Bay Culture Square, and Anji Culture and Art Center in China, as well as the Absolute Towers (Mississauga, Canada), UNIC Residences (Paris, France), the Tunnel of Light (Echigo-Tsumari, Japan), FENIX (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Los Angeles, USA).

Beyond buildings, MAD explores architecture’s role in contemporary culture through exhibitions, publications and public art, including MAD X at Centre Pompidou, Paris; Shanshui City at UCCA, Beijing; Ma Yansong: Landscapes in Motion (MoCAUP, Shenzhen; HKDI Gallery, Hong Kong), and Ma Yansong: Architecture and Emotion (Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam). Publications include MAD Dinner, Shanshui City, MAD X, MAD Rhapsody, Rethinking Social Housing: China To The World, Untamed Landscape, and Tell Your Dreams.

About Droom en Daad Foundation

Danshuis is a project of the Droom en Daad Foundation – https://droomendaad.nl/. Founded in 2016, it is helping redefine Rotterdam for the 21stcentury – developing new kinds of arts and culture institutions and fostering new creative talent that reflects the city’s diversity, its spirit and its history.

Centre For Dance Danshuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands images / information received 010926

Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands.