The Koolhaas Effect

The Financial Times offers an intriguing look at what drives architect Rem Koolhaas.

1 minute read

March 7, 2004, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Architect Rem Koolhaas is involved in aa series of unconventional projects across the globe: "His unorthodox choice of project reflects an impatience with the rules of a profession that he entered only late in life... While Frank Gehry's buildings - like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao - marvel visitors with the boldness of their design, the beauty of their geometrical shapes and the luminescence of their materials, it is the ideas underlying the physical form that make Liebeskind and Koolhaas buildings a lived experience. And if Liebeskind has made a name for himself painstakingly recording the trauma of the 20th century, Koolhaas's ambition is to become the chief architect of political power of the 21st. Three recent projects - the Dutch Embassy in Berlin, the CCTV tower in Beijing, and the EU headquarters in Brussels - act as case studies for his granulated understanding of power, and show how he can interpret its subtleties with the same clinical precision that Liebeskind brings to pain."

Thanks to Arts Journal

Wednesday, March 3, 2004 in The Financial Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

May 1, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Concrete building wth Department of Housing and Urban Development sign

Local Governments Sue HUD Over Funding Cuts

A new lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration’s revised guidelines for housing and homelessness assistance funds will decimate key programs.

5 hours ago - The Mercury News

Inside of self-driving truck on road.

California Is Retooling its AV Guidelines

The California DMV is proposing a new framework for light- and heavy-duty self-driving trucks that would enhance reporting requirements and pave the way for autonomous commercial fleets.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Row of two-story homes in Boulder, Colorado.

Proposed Boulder Ballot Measures Call for Impact Fees, Affordable Duplexes

Boulder residents are working to put two housing-related proposals on the November ballot.

May 6 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO