Koolhaas in Favor of Generic Buildings

Rem Koolhaas, in an interview in Der Speigel, talks about the "zero character" office building he works in in Rotterdam and how wonderful

1 minute read

December 21, 2011, 12:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur

Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan interprets the Der Speigel interview on The Atlantic Cities:

"Koolhaas believes the generic city is also the freest. Liberated from the codes and rules of the old city center, it's a free zone, a safe haven for the migrant workers who make up (in Amsterdam's case) 40 percent of the city's population. Generic plug-in waterfronts (like the Baltimore Inner Harbor, New York's East River Waterfront and, yes, HafenCity) are the product of a simple equation between developers and city governments."

In the original interview, Koolhaas says:

"It can be wonderful when a building has character, but it can also be an obstacle. It can limit you."

FULL STORY: Koolhaas's Defense of Generic Architecture

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 in The Atlantic Cities

Architecture Europe Rem Koolhaas

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