"A UK museum that tells the long, rich history of migration is long overdue"

IF YOU GAZE UP AT THE SKYLINE IN ROTTERDAM, in the Netherlands, you might spot a new addition. Made from stainless-steel panels and shaped like a rollercoaster, the Tornado sits on top of the city's newly opened Fenix, a museum that tells the story of human migration.

- KAVITA PURI

Visitors climb to the distinctive Tornado up a sweeping staircase at the museum's entrance, along a meandering route that represents the many different journeys people take to reach their destinations. On arriving at the viewing platform, you can take in a panoramic view of the city and its waterways where millions of Europeans once boarded ships in Europe's largest port, many of them leaving for a new life in the US. Today, Rotterdam is home to more than 170 nationalities.

It’s an interesting choice to open a museum to migration at a time when the subject has become so toxic, not least in the Netherlands. Designed by the Chinese firm MAD Architects, the museum displays have exhibits including thousands of suitcases, images of refugees, and a life-sized city bus. Perhaps reasoned discussions about migration can be inspired by art.