The City is an addictive machine from which there is no escape Rem Koolhaas More Quotes by Rem Koolhaas More Quotes From Rem Koolhaas Manhattan has no choice but the skyward extrusion of the Grid itself; only the Skyscraper offers business the wide-open spaces of a man-made Wild West, a frontier in the sky. Rem Koolhaas space sky men Lagos was a city that had been turned against itself. There was a bridge that became the perfect trap for crimes, which began with nails being scattered to cause flat tyres. If the driver stopped, the car would be dismantled in 20 minutes and the parts thrown overboard [to people waiting below]. The system had turned into a kind of destructive device that could be used against people. That was the narrative. Rem Koolhaas cities bridges people Manhattan has generated a shameless architecture that has been loved in direct proportion to its defiant lack of self-hatred, has been respected exactly to the degree that it went too far. Rem Koolhaas degrees hatred self Nobody should be anything, but because I once had a different profession and I'm interested in writing, I took it upon me. Rem Koolhaas different should writing I like fashion, whether or not it's overpriced, because it creates a sense of the sublime with relatively few means. Rem Koolhaas sublime fashion mean Miami Beach is a completely interesting hybrid because it is, on the one hand, a resort and, on the other hand, a real city. This condition of city and water on two sides I think is really amazing. And in the heart of that city, it has put an enormous convention center, an enormous physical presence. Rem Koolhaas real heart beach I wanted to disconnect from contemporary architecture Rem Koolhaas contemporary architecture wanted As more and more architecture is finally unmasked as the mere organization of flow - shopping centers, airports - it is evident that circulation is what makes or breaks public architecture. Rem Koolhaas airports shopping organization Nigeria [in 1990] was all rumour, an unbelievable amount of rumour - largely about crime and almost mythical manifestations of evil. Rem Koolhaas unbelievable crime evil Everyone is talking about sustainability and resilience, yet all that knowledge is thrown in the bin. [Lagos is] a unique case, but also a test case. It's unbelievably unique, but also it's now considered with a number of really generic opinions, generic solution, generic expectations. Rem Koolhaas unique numbers talking The word 'celebrity' and the word 'architect' are basically incompatible. Rem Koolhaas architect When we went in the late 1990s, Nigeria was still in a dictatorship. So we didn't go with a mission. It started really with a sort of blankness and open-endedness. Rem Koolhaas missions late dictatorship There have been periods( in China) where ordinances existed, there were mayors who insisted( to put) Chinese roofs on modern buildings but it's like a pendulum. Rem Koolhaas top-news It's a weird city because the uglier the weather, the more beautiful the city. And the uglier the buildings, the more coherent the city. Rem Koolhaas weird city weather beautiful The intellectual force of the West is still dominant, but other cultures are getting stronger. I expect that we will develop a new way of thinking in architecture and urban planning, and that less will be based on our models. Rem Koolhaas new architecture way thinking We felt it was very important for an entity like CCTV to make its presence felt... To generate a space and to define a space, that is the main thing. Rem Koolhaas presence like space important One of our theories is that one can offset this excessive compulsion toward the spectacular with a return to simplicity. Rem Koolhaas our spectacular simplicity return
