the rumors are true.
yes other offices like UN, MVRDV, NL etc etc are like that.

and another issue
is there life after OMA

internship at OMA is hard work and poor pay, true...but the eductaion is uncomparable. it really is that simple; you'll be mental and physically exhausted and poor but your exposed to so much incredible material, amongst very creative people in a studio environment unlike any studio you can imagine.

as for the other guys, my flatmate works for UN, he has to work hard but not anywhere near the same hours, MVRDV are pretty much the safe as OMA - due to them being sporned here and from what I hear on the grapvine places like NL and nox and erick van egeraat, mecanoo are all pretty chilled in comparison.

but basically, if one really wants to gather knowledge and isnt too worried about their health or their wallet then OMA is where its at.

on the flipside, there are interns at OMA who are in it purely for the initials on their CV...this is stupid...I think for the experience to be worth-while and benefit your education as an architect, rather than to help your status, you have to LOVE it, and really, really want it for your personal architectural development...otherwise go to Fosters or something

Speaking of Sir Foster's, how is it as a place to work? Is it true that you get two bathroom chits a day (i.e. you can only leave your desk twice?)

I think it was mentioned on another thread, that there is a monthly stipend which covers just enough for housing, right? Surely, if one is doing nothing else but working or sleeping, and meals being covered by OMA, it shouldn't be that much of a burden on the wallet.

reminds me of a few years ago i had an interview there.
i mentioned that i didnt really like rotterdam as a city - they replied "that doesnt matter, you'll never have time to see it anyway"

I heard that's why Rem picked it for OMA---no distractions for workers.

if you arent prepared to make any sacrifice in the creation of the instant iconographic big shiny building with a hole in it then maybe you should do something else with your life.

iconography is never instant. it just looks that way.


which is why the corporate guys never get it right.


i know a few people who worked at oma. they said it was hellish but probably worth it. a friend is currently at mvrdv and loves it. a few others work for arets and it sounds much more chilled, but still busy. i think the rule is that architecture requires time. specifically, it requires YOUR time.

interns in NL is not same as in usa though. keep in mind that the term there means someone who is basically still in school and a student, not a pro-degree grad. don know if it gets any better, but my friends ain't living on trustfunds and seem to be doing alright, whrether at mvrdv or others...

jump is right with the NL intern thing. officially you have to still be a student to get an internship. and then the office can legally pay you that 275 euros a month amount.
however, many non-dutch architects get their foot in the door by doing internships although they are graduates. after the 6 months if they are good they get given real contracts.

if its big enough and shiny enough the instancy of the icon is assured.

yeh now that you mention it p2an my classmate at rems place did that 6 month deal. don't know if same at mvrdv. probably.

how is it where you work? feeling abused by (slightly?) star architecture nature of your office?

actually i am happy, i like the work i do and the conditions are good. so no complaints for me.

but the 6 month internship for non interns is pretty common here. i didnt go through that route but many ppl foreigners here did.

felix is on his way to japan tomorrow afternoon for a week for an eth workshop. not sure if he is doing any public lectures tho.

jump. for your info felix will be at the Y-GSA
. doing a couple of talks with Kees Kaan.

is it possible for a US student to do an internship with OMA while still in school?

they only do 6 and 4 month internships, correct? if so i dont think that enough time between semesters for us... dammit

Take a semester off. No one will mind except for your parents.

does anyone know anything about OMA:NY? i havent heard anything about it. do they also only do 4 or 6 month internships?

my parents wouldnt mind i would. i dont want to have to graduate a semester late (though it wouldnt be the end of the world, im shocked that the NY office doesnt do like a 3 month or 10 week program FOR college students. 4 or 6 months would MAKE people take a semester off. is that their goal?)

while oma:ny may still exist, it's not the oma:ny that was run by josh prince-ramus. you know that, right? if not, see: REX

my understanding was that oma would keep a us presence so that they could continue work on projects like the wylie in dallas and others, but i wonder HOW MUCH presence that really means.

their website still shows an address:

[OMA*AMO Architecture PC, 180 Varick Street, Suite 1328, New York, NY 10014, USA, T +1 212 337 0770]

...but all email contact is through .nl.

check the jobs section. oma's been hiring a lot lately, though i don't know in what location(s).

i'm aware of REX but i have been relatively unimpressed from waht ive seen (via their website) in relation to OMA. but youre right, i wonder if it would be worth working in a bad OMA or a good REX

what is the treatment of interns like at REX? are there any experience stories from there?

What should one show in his/her portfolio to increase chances of scoring an internship with OMA?

body shots.

1) OMA New York has been reestablished and has about 20 people. I'm not sure what projects they are working on

2) Since pretty much every architecture student in the world wants to intern at OMA, fat chance getting the position unless you to Princeton, Yale, or Harvard (or somewhere in Europe)

3) Are there any great design firms that don't work hellish hours? What if I want to be the best designer in the world but want to have a *life* outside of work too?

my classmate worked for OMA after graduation with m.arch from univeristy of manitoba

don't be frightened of OMA. classmate was multiple award winner, president of this and that and had a kick ass portfolio. i believe that mattered more than school name.

I went to interview in Rotterdam and got the job. I was attending a good uni, but certainly not a 'name' one. I was told that there were 1000 other candidates for the role (not all got to interview of course) and I think what gets you through the interview stage is the conversation you have. Be prepared for some very on-the-spot questions and some challenges to your projects and you'll do fine.

However this was with Marc 2 years ago who has since left the office. I met the new guy (his first day was my last) and he seemed like he would make a formidable interviewer so just make sure you know what you believe in and you'll be able to answer anything.

Are you thinking of applying to OMA Rotterdam or OMA NY?

from an oma intern POV, is it really worth it?

yes, they make you work your ass off "literally" 24/7.. 6 days a week, usually 7 days, 9-12, sometimes up to 6am and expect you to come in at 9 again the next day for another full 15hours. for however long your internship is. 3months, 6months..this routine goes the whole way.
don't expect them to care about your wellbeing or health, and if you get sick, you are still expected to show. if you are conscious, then you can work.
the reason they pay you a fix monthly pay is a dirty trick to own your life for the time period - just imagine how much you would make if it was based on hourly rate.

maybe Im exaggerating a little. I guess it really depends on who you work for. it wasn't so great for me as the person in charge really didnt care a hoot about you and makes you their dog to do whatever they say while they sit back and surf the internet.
expect to churn out blue foam models 80% of the time, and other 20% them telling on all the little mistakes and correcting it.
oma feeds on the interns and the lowest of the foodchain to get out great work, some would say its slave labour.
i guess what you learn in the end is if you want to end up like these people who really have no life outside the office.

This is the reason why every single profession is way better off financially, physically, emotionally, en generally a lot happier than architects. Yes, intern lawyers, doctors, you name it, work hard, but not as much hours as architects and at the end they get paid.

Now, if I was a stararchitect, i would probably slave my staff too, as it is the only type of people that would do that. You will never in your life see a co-assistant or an intern lawyer work 7 days a week 18 hours shifts with little pay, no social life. But we just continue to accept this and then we ask ourself, why no one respects us in society and why no one wants to pay for our service.

btw, how much does Tom Mayne pay to the interns these days?

$500 per month??

@harold you said it all ...

Is there any oportunity to get an intership if I am 25 years old and I am already an architect?