Six Canonical Projects by Rem Koolhaas

In historiography the work of Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) tends to be assigned to notions of radical eclecticism, Sachlichkeit, functionalism, structuralist or postmodern theory, as well as constructivist or surrealist sensibilities. Moreover, Koolhaas is presented in the traditional way of architectural hagiography as original genius, the Le Corbusier of our times. The present research study is a critical in- depth examination of Koolhaas oeuvre, focusing on his evolutionary design model that employs earlier design types as a source of knowledge. The goal of the project is to reconstruct the underlying narratives, retrace the dynamics within the discourse, in order to chart a new perspective on Koolhaas work. It closes the gap in the scientific processing and interpretation and advances a new understanding of the design practice by analyzing the progress, success or failure of architectural ideas. Its key issues are: How can we understand Koolhaas theoretical work in relation to the architectural production as process- oriented design knowledge? How can we identify conceptual ideas and recurring strategies? Is there a consistency (versus ruptures) of generative ideas beyond formal correspondence? How do these features change and adapt to different programs? What is the function of the architect and author in the discourse and his claim of originality? The methodology of the present study is a combined strategy of case study approach and critical discourse analysis. The single cases serve as examples of architectural elements or principles that have a central role in Koolhaas thinking: Wall (Exodus, or The Voluntary Prisoners of Architecture), Void (Ville Nouvelle Melun-Sénart), Montage (Maison à Bordeaux), Trajectory (Dutch Embassy in Berlin), Infrastructure (Seattle Public Library), and Shape (China Central Television Station). In conclusion, the name of the author establishes a certain status by creating a system of authentication, rejection, and mutual explication of positions. It functions as appropriation of a discourse, value and meaning of every work vitally depends on the sovereignty of the authorship: Problem solving, which answers without questioning the problem, therefore adds nothing new, whereas innovation, which interrogates and reforms the problem, adds value by creating new knowledge and new products not anticipated in the problem. The shaping of such a notion of originality may be Koolhaas most significant contribution to architecture and design knowledge.