Rem Koolhaas
A journalist, a script writer and finally an architect, Rem Koolhaas is a multi-faceted personality whose extraordinary journey has resulted in a world class architect and his work, astonishingly different and speaks for itself.
Rem Koolhaas is a renowned Dutch architect, an urbanist and an architectural theorist. He is the founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in London, which was set up in 1975 along with architects Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and his wife Madelon Vriesendorp. An author of various books, Rem Koolhaas had started his writing career long before his stint as an architect. Here, we take a look at this visionary architect, his life, his works and his various achievements which set him apart from his peers.
Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands on November 17, 1944, Rem Koolhaas was the eldest of the three children and spent the early years in Indonesia where his father served as a cultural director. Inspired by his father, he began his literary career, writing mostly in the field of architecture.
He began his career as a journalist with the Haagse Post in the Hague, and then started script writing both in the Netherlands and Hollywood. He co-wrote his first script in 1969 called 'The White Slave', produced by Dutch director Rene Daalder. But his main interest lay in building something and that’s when he realized that he wanted to be an architect.
He enrolled himself at the Architecture Association School in London in 1968 to realize his dreams.
Rem Koolhaas's writing gave him early recognition even before he started on with his architectural career. After accepting a research scholarship in the United States, he wrote his first book 'Delirious New York' there, which he described as a "retroactive manifesto for Manhattan", discussing patterns of urban growth and earned him laurels in this field. This work emphasizes the contradictions between the two concepts, viz. architecture and urban design. His next work was 'S,M,L,XL,' along with Bruce Mau and Hans Werlemann in 1995, a 1376-page volume combining essays, manifestos, diaries, fiction, travelogues, and meditations on the contemporary city.
After having taken up his job as professor at Harvard University, he came out with three remarkable publications, firstly, the 720-page book 'Mutations', then 'The Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping' in 2002 and then lastly, 'The Great Leap Forward' also in 2002. All these books were based on functionalities of non-cities, influence of shopping habits and the recent rapid growth in cities of China.
He also co-founded 'Volume Magazine,' which deals with global views on architecture and design, broader attitudes to social structures, and creating environments to live in.
His other works include the Beverly Hills' Prada store, the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, China, The Netherlands Dance Theatre at the Hague, the Second Stage Theatre in New York, and the Seattle Public Library, Washington amongst others.
His offices are spread around the World and Koolhaas now heads offices in Europe, North America and Asia. His on-going projects include a master plan for the White City Area in London, a harbour redevelopment and contemporary art Museum in Riga, the Cordoba Congress Centre in Spain; the redevelopment of the Mercati Generali in Rome, an architectural centre, offices and housing in Copenhagen, the new head office of Rothschild Bank in London and multi-use towers in Rotterdam and The Hague. One of his biggest projects under construction is the the 575,000 m2 China Central Television Headquarters CCTV and Television Cultural Center TVCC, currently under construction in Beijing and due for completion in 2008.
Koolhaas is termed as a modernist by many and controversial by some because of his unusal sense of design, but Rem Koolhaas has established himself as a visionary and the most influential architect of today. He is definitely here to stay and the choice for tomorrow! As Koolhaas once said, "There is no plateau of resting or stabilizing."
Rem Koolhaas is a renowned Dutch architect, an urbanist and an architectural theorist. He is the founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in London, which was set up in 1975 along with architects Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and his wife Madelon Vriesendorp. An author of various books, Rem Koolhaas had started his writing career long before his stint as an architect. Here, we take a look at this visionary architect, his life, his works and his various achievements which set him apart from his peers.
He began his career as a journalist with the Haagse Post in the Hague, and then started script writing both in the Netherlands and Hollywood. He co-wrote his first script in 1969 called 'The White Slave', produced by Dutch director Rene Daalder. But his main interest lay in building something and that’s when he realized that he wanted to be an architect.
He enrolled himself at the Architecture Association School in London in 1968 to realize his dreams.
His Career
He continues to inspire lots of youngsters with his creative designs and urban architecture. Rem Koolhaas has made major contributions in this field and is believed to enjoy a 'cult status' amongst his contemporaries. His style signifies the concept of asymmetry, nonlinearity and the use of inexpensive, everyday materials. The first building to be designed by him was the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in London. Koolhaas then went on to design several other buildings including his contribution to the Venice Biennale in 1980, which was curated by Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi, titled "Presence of the Past", in which the OMA was the only modernist scheme!The Literary Genius!
After having taken up his job as professor at Harvard University, he came out with three remarkable publications, firstly, the 720-page book 'Mutations', then 'The Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping' in 2002 and then lastly, 'The Great Leap Forward' also in 2002. All these books were based on functionalities of non-cities, influence of shopping habits and the recent rapid growth in cities of China.
He also co-founded 'Volume Magazine,' which deals with global views on architecture and design, broader attitudes to social structures, and creating environments to live in.
Changing the Skylines!
Rem Koolhaas has many unusual building designs to his credit. He had his first exhibition at the New York's Museum of Modern Art, which drew sold-out crowds. His major milestone project till date has been the Euralille, which is the train hub in northern France that is the exchange between the Chunnel (the rail tunnel beneath the English Channel that connects England and France) and the European railway system.His other works include the Beverly Hills' Prada store, the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, China, The Netherlands Dance Theatre at the Hague, the Second Stage Theatre in New York, and the Seattle Public Library, Washington amongst others.
Achievements
Koolhaas, though a controversial architect, has made remarkable contribution to the field of architecture and has won many awards, including the Pritzer Architecture Prize in 2000. He was also awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium in 2007.Koolhaas is termed as a modernist by many and controversial by some because of his unusal sense of design, but Rem Koolhaas has established himself as a visionary and the most influential architect of today. He is definitely here to stay and the choice for tomorrow! As Koolhaas once said, "There is no plateau of resting or stabilizing."
