Rem Koolhaas says architecture has 'serious communication problem'
Pritzker Prize winning architect and theorist Rem Koolhaas has called for more communication between architects; criticising those who are unwilling to listen to those from different cultures and with different value systems.
According to US publication Fast Company, the OMA founder made the statement during a session held on the final day of the American Institute of Architects Convention in Philadelphia.
"Architecture has a serious problem today in that people who aren’t alike don’t communicate,” said Koolhaas. “But actually I’m more interested in communicating with people I disagree with than people I agree with.
"To have a certain virtuosity of interpretation of every phenomenon is crucial. We’re working in a world where so many different cultures are operating at the same time each with their own value system.
“If you want to be relevant, you need to be open to an enormous multiplicity of values, interpretations, and readings. The old-fashioned Western ‘this is’ ‘that is’ approach is no longer tenable. We need to be intellectual and rigorous, but at the same time relativist."
As well as problems with communication, Koolhaas also objected to the underplaying of the role played by engineers in creating buildings. "I really hate this demeaning of architecture as an icon,” he said. “Because of this reading, there’s a really unfortunate way that contributions of other partnerships and other forms of knowledge are ignored.
“The best work is half engineering and half architecture and therefore completely dependent on the contribution of engineers."
Asked about the future of architecture, Koolhaas said “the path forward” is to search for new domains "which are not a simple vulgar multiplication of uninspired global projects”. He praised innovations in preservation projects as a particular source of hope.
“By definition, a preservation project is an homage to earlier cultures and mentalities to which you can add a new dimension, a new function, a new beauty or appeal,” he said. “Almost every impulse signals that globalisation needs rethinking or adjustment [in favour of a more localised focus]."
Koolhaas made the comments while in discussions with architect Mohsen Mostafavi, dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Other speakers at the AIA conference included architect and MIT professor Neri Oxman and actor Julia-Louis Dreyfuss, who replaced Kevin Spacey to deliver a talk on the need for architects to innovate, cause disruption and take risks.
Rem Koolhaas AIA American Institute of Architecture OMA communication preservation architecture designBjarke Ingels named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People as Rem Koolhaas pays tribute
Kevin Spacey to deliver keynote speech at architecture convention in Philadelphia
RIBA names Rem Koolhaas as Jencks Award winner
FEATURE: CLAD people – Rem Koolhaas
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
The Peninsula London unveils Peter Marino-designed spa inspired by London’s famous parks
First glimpses revealed of Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair's subterranean spa retreat
"Architecture is alive" says Ma Yansong, as Shenzhen art museum opens exhibition showcasing work of MAD Architects
Why shouldn’t sports facilities be beautiful? Across Asia, architects are creating landmark buildings for the public, discovers Christopher de Wolf