REM KOOLHAAS

Rem Koolhaas

Rem Koolhaas

Introduction

Rem Koolhaas continues to be a pioneering figure in the arena of urban architecture.  It was this Dutch-born architect that created some of the most thrilling pieces of architecture in the world today.  Rem Koolhaas is still creating buildings that create a buzz around the entire world, including an addition to the Guggenheim in Las Vegas and the Kunsthal in Rotterdam. But Rem Koolhaas created as much of a buzz about his architectural philosophy as he did about the buildings he designed. From the Seattle Central Library to the Casa da Musica Hall in Porto, Portugal, The work of Rem Koolhaas is as much a piece of art as it is a functional building. (Sussman 1998 pp.34-42)

Koolhaas Success

Rem Koolhaas has made several contributions to the world of architecture that influenced today's styles. As such, he has often been called the “guru of contemporary architecture” because of his “rigorous analysis and audacious ideas” (Jury 2006 pp.6). As a modern architect, he is still creating and designing buildings today. His Seattle Central Library, which was created in 2004, has been heralded by the New York Times as “a blazing chandelier to swing your dreams upon” (Jury 2006 pp.6). His Casa da Musica Hall in Porto, Portugal was created and completed in 2005 and has since been called “one of the most important concert hals [sic] in the world” ( Jury 2006 pp.6)

Island of Manhattan

One of the main works of Rem Koolhaas was centered around the island of Manhattan. He was witnessing the “massive…industrial, economic, and technological innovations” of the time period (Koolhaas 1992 pp 82-113). His 1978 work, Delirious New York, reflected his feelings regarding the explosion of this city as he described it as a “20th century's Rosetta Stone,” meaning that there was a duality of odd room functions involved inside of the buildings (Koolhaas 1997 pp. 513).  Koolhaas's work described the island of Manhattan as a series of “architectural mutations,” “utopian fragments,” and “irrational phenomenon” that was as confusing as it was functional (Koolhaas 1992 pp 82-113). He also described the island as being a “Galapagos island of new technologies in which this time a battle among species of machines is imminent” (Koolhaas 2004 pp. 166-7 ). Manhattan was a new form of Darwin's idea of “survival of the fittest.” It is in this work that Koolhaas also coined the term, Manhattanism, which he described as “exist[ing] in a world totally fabricated by man i.e., to live inside fantasy” (Koolhaas 1992 pp 82-113).  He thought of the island as a dreamland that was completely set apart from human reality.

Koolhaas had many problems with the structure and ideal behind Manhattan's “ecstasy about architecture” (Koolhaas 1997).  To him, the architecture present in Manhattan was a paradigm because it gave way to a “culture of congestion” and it created an “exploitation” of this principle (Koolhaas 1992 pp 82-113). Since 1811, Manhattan's Grid was the single greatest force and the “overriding theoretical and practical influence on the development of ...