Rem Koolhaas facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Rem Koolhaas
Koolhaas in 2013
Born	Remment Lucas Koolhaas (1944-11-17) 17 November 1944 (age 80) Rotterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	Architectural Association School of Architecture, Cornell University
Occupation	Architect Architectural theorist Urbanist
Awards	Pritzker Prize (2000) Praemium Imperiale (2003) Royal Gold Medal (2004) Leone d'oro alla carriera (2010) Rolf Schock Prize (2022)

Practice	Office for Metropolitan Architecture
Buildings	Casa da Música in Porto De Rotterdam Seattle Central Library Netherlands Embassy Berlin China Central Television Headquarters Qatar National Library
Projects	Delirious New York, S,M,L,XL Volume Magazine

Remment Lucas Koolhaas (born 17 November 1944) is a famous Dutch architect and thinker. He also teaches about architecture and city design at Harvard University. Some people see him as a leader in a style called Deconstructivism. He wrote a well-known book called Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan.

Many people think he is one of the most important architects and city planners of his time. In 2000, Rem Koolhaas won the Pritzker Prize, which is like the Nobel Prize for architecture. In 2008, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early Life and Education
Starting His Architecture Career
Ideas About Architecture
- Projects on Cities
- Volume Magazine
Buildings and Designs
- Architecture, Fashion, and Art
- Major 21st-Century Projects
Personal Life
Selected Projects
Gallery
See also

Early Life and Education

Remment Koolhaas was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on November 17, 1944. His father, Anton Koolhaas, was a writer and screenwriter. His father's films were even nominated for an Academy Award. Rem's grandfather, Dirk Roosenburg, was also a modern architect.

When Rem was young, his family lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, for three years. His father was helping with a cultural program there. Rem remembers this time as very important for him. He felt like he lived "as an Asian."

At 19, Rem worked as a journalist for a newspaper. Later, in 1968, he began studying architecture in London. He continued his studies at Cornell University in New York. He also studied in New York City.

Rem Koolhaas looking at the Seattle Central Library model in 2005

Starting His Architecture Career

Rem Koolhaas became well-known when he started his own company. In 1975, he founded OMA in London. He started it with other architects, including his wife, Madelon Vriesendorp. Later, Zaha Hadid, who became a famous architect herself, joined them.

OMA's early work was different from other popular styles of the time. For example, in 1980, they contributed to an art show in Venice. Their design stood out because it did not use old-fashioned styles or historical references.

Some of their important early projects included designs for the Parc de la Villette in Paris. They also designed a residence for the Prime Minister of Ireland. Another key project was the Kunsthal in Rotterdam. These designs put into practice ideas from his book Delirious New York.

Ideas About Architecture

Koolhaas's book Delirious New York was very important for his career. In the book, he looked at how cities grow in unexpected ways. He called the city "an addictive machine." He also saw cities as places with many "red hot spots."

One big idea Koolhaas explores is the "Program" in architecture. This means how a building's purpose or activities shape its design. In the past, people often said "form follows function." This meant a building's shape should come from what it's used for. Koolhaas questioned this idea. He looked at tall buildings in Manhattan. He thought about how different activities could be mixed in surprising ways. For example, he once suggested putting running tracks in skyscrapers.

Projects on Cities

Koolhaas also wrote other books while teaching at Harvard University. These books came from his "Project on the City" studies. They included Mutations, The Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping, and The Great Leap Forward.

These books looked at places that some might not call "cities." For example, they studied Lagos in Nigeria. The books argued that these places work well, even without much official planning. They also looked at how shopping affects cities. And they studied the fast growth of cities in China. Some critics thought Koolhaas was being too negative. They felt he suggested that modern life would only be about shopping.

Koolhaas uses his observations about modern cities in his designs. He calls this the "culture of congestion." He believes that cities are always changing. He tries to make his buildings fit into this changing environment.

In 2003, Koolhaas published Content. This book was like a magazine. It showed many projects from OMA over ten years. It included designs for Prada stores and the Seattle Public Library. It also had interviews with famous people.

Volume Magazine

In 2005, Rem Koolhaas helped start Volume Magazine. This magazine is a place for new ideas about space and culture. It looks beyond just making buildings. It explores how architecture connects to social structures and how we live. The magazine aims to find new possibilities in design and urban life.

Buildings and Designs

OMA has become very well-known in the 21st century. Some critics have pointed out that OMA is very good at online marketing.

Architecture, Fashion, and Art

Prada, Beverly Hills, California

Koolhaas has designed stores for the fashion brand Prada. These stores are like art pieces themselves. For example, the Prada store in Beverly Hills has a huge central staircase. It's not just for showing clothes. It's also a place for people to see and be seen. The Prada store on Broadway in New York City was once a museum. Koolhaas kept some of the old museum signs. This made it seem like the store was also a cultural place. The Broadway Prada store opened in 2001 and cost a lot to build.

Major 21st-Century Projects

CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China

Two of OMA's most famous and expensive projects in the new century are in China. These are the Central China Television Headquarters Building in Beijing and the new building for the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

For the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing (2009), Koolhaas did not design a typical tall skyscraper. Instead, he created a unique "horizontal skyscraper." People in Beijing sometimes call it "The Big Pants." The building connects many different departments. It also has paths for the public to walk through. This allows people to see parts of the TV production process.

In February 2020, Koolhaas had an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. It was called Countryside, The Future. However, the exhibition closed early because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal Life

Rem Koolhaas was married to Madelon Vriesendorp, an artist. They have two children, Charlie, a photographer, and Tomas, a filmmaker. They divorced in 2012. His current partner is Petra Blaisse, who designs interiors and landscapes. They have been together since 1986.