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Quote by Rem Koolhaas

“Find optimism in the inevitable.”

Author

Rem Koolhaas is a renowned Dutch architect, born on November 17, 1944. Known for his unique architectural style and theoretical contributions, his work has a widespread influence globally. more

“Manhattanism is the one urbanistic ideology that has fed, from its conception, on the splendors and miseries of the metropolitan condition—hyper-density—without once losing faith in it as the basis for a desirable modern culture. Manhattan's architecture is a paradigm for the exploitation of congestion.”

“In the end, there will be little else for us to do but shop.”

Littles Ends Shops

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“There is no plateau of resting or stabilising. Once you are interested in how things evolve, you have a kind of never-ending perspective, because it means you are interested in articulating the evolution, and therefore the potential change, the potential redefinition.”

Kind Mean Perspective Evolution Evolve Never Ending Articulating

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“The great problem of the concert hall is that the shoebox is the ideal shape for acoustics but that no architect worth their names wants to build a shoebox.”

Want Problem Names Shapes Ideals Halls Concerts Architect Acoustics

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“If you have this reputation you can sit back and endure it, or you can try to do things with it.”

Ifs Trying Endure Reputation

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“Influence is a very unpleasant subject and I deal with it in a maybe irresponsible way, which is to really ignore it. It would be a nightmare if we started to really think about it; it would tie our hands, it would tie everyone elses hands.”

Ifs Thinking Way Hands Would Be Deals Influence Subjects Ties Nightmare Irresponsible

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“We say we want to create beauty, identity, quality, singularity. And yet, maybe in truth these cities that we have are desired. Maybe their very characterlessness provides the best context for living.”

Want Cities Quality Identity Singularity

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“When air conditioning, escalators, and advertising appeared, shopping expanded its scale, but also limited its spontaneity. And it became much more predictable, almost scientific. What had once been the most surprising became the most manipulated.”

Air Scales Advertising Shopping Surprising Spontaneity Predictable Conditioning Air Conditioning Escalators

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“When shopping was still connected to the street it was also an intensification and articulation of the street. Now it has become utterly independent - contained, controlled, surveyed.”

Stills Streets Independent Connected Controlled Shopping Articulation

Author:Rem Koolhaas

“Japan lives with drastic segregation between the sublime, the ugly, and the utterly without qualities. Dominance of the last 2 categories makes mere presence of the first stunning: when beauty 'happens', it is absolutely surprising.”

Firsts Happens Lasts Quality Mere Ugly Japan Categories Surprising Sublime Segregation Dominance Stunning Drastic

Author:Rem Koolhaas

Quote by Rem Koolhaas

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