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Rem Koolhaas - still alive as of 8-2-2023

Not about praising or dissing the architect. 

In a recent post on Archinect, it was, as it appears, to be claimed that he died. If people did due diligence, it would be clear that it's false. First, he's 78 or so about not 70. 

If someone with such a star status in this profession, if he died, Wikipedia page on him would have been updated in a matter of hours if not days especially when actual established recognized media would have covered it and made a not of it. Confirming the factual basis of the claim. For popular stars who die, Wikipedia would be updated within 30 minutes of it being covered by mainstream media. Let's have the facts straight. I didn't just check Wikipedia. I did do a general search engine search for any mentions in mainstream / credible media sources or any other sensible credible sources.

If Rem Koolhaas died, it would be known on public media just as it has for other starchitects. Even Archinect would have made an official statement. Given this is August, it would not be a good April Fool's Day joke, for obvious reasons.

 
Aug 2, 23 1:43 pm
Le Courvoisier

I know you are but what am I

Aug 2, 23 2:35 pm  · 
3  · 
natematt

While I agree with your statement that generally this would be covered broadly by architectural media in a prompt fashion... I think it's exaggeration to refer to him as a "popular star", as architects are not actual celebrities, even the most famous of them. 


Aug 2, 23 2:57 pm  · 
2  ·  1

Fair point but like a "popular star", they are publicly known figures even if not technically a celebrity but still significant enough for a prompt coverage. If its exaggeration to refer them as popular stars, it is perhaps authorial liberty to convey a point but nonetheless agree with you. Rem Koolhaas happens to have one of those catchy "kool" name that starchitects uses be it real or a pseudonym (pen name) like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. Architects with boring names tends to not to become "starchitects" and get that sort of "star" factor in the profession no matter how good their architectural work is. It's one of the silly aspects of a silly vanity-driven profession that is almost as vanity driven as fashion design. If I took some exotic european variation of my first name and say.... used a historic version of my last name and used it as some pseudonym, then come up with some cool exotic design for homes.... maybe I become some silly "starchidork".

Aug 2, 23 4:50 pm  · 
 · 
natematt

Arguably the two most famous architects are/were both named Frank.... so I'm going to have to say... hard disagree. If you think that is genuinely the case, maybe you should take that strategy and see. Prove me wrong to your own great benefit. My point is that architectural fame is literally just within the profession, no one outside of architecture gives a shit.

Aug 2, 23 6:46 pm  · 
2  · 
b3tadine[sutures]

No one inside architecture gives a shit, except this guy. ^^

Aug 2, 23 6:50 pm  · 
3  · 

Aside from frank, the first frank has that "Lloyd Wright" but he was before the vanity and maybe the conspirator of the "starchitect" vanity culture. Then you have Frank Gehry.... that Gehry but maybe he's an exception to the general rule of "starchitecture". You have Zaha Hadid. Then you have Zumthor. Name not so boring or meh. The name has to have some artistry and flair to how it sounds in such petty vanity culture because it is just petty shit like that which people often get disregarded and ignored. Of course, an exotic 'cool' fashionable-sounding name alone doesn't make you a starchitect, either. Oh well. Don't need any of that vanity bullshit to be a good architect. I think you would agree with that.

Aug 2, 23 7:02 pm  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

I’d struggle to name 10 “celebrity” architects.

Aug 2, 23 7:08 pm  · 
2  · 
natematt

I struggle to spell 10 "celebrity" Architect's names. That's not a benefit to them in my mind.

Aug 2, 23 7:21 pm  · 
 · 

I just struggle to spell. Also me grammer aint no good. ;)

Aug 2, 23 7:51 pm  · 
1  · 

Peter Zumthor, Bjarke Ingel, Zaha Hadid, Renzo Piano, Rem Koolhaas, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Robert Venturi, Santiago Calatrava, Le Corbusier, Eliel Saarinen and Eero Saarinen, Michael Graves, I.M. Pei, Oscar Neimeyer, Tadao Ando, Daniel Libeskind, Norman Foster, Phillip Johnson, Peter Eisenman, Walter Gropius, Alvar Aalto... if they were famous or well known internationally and talked about in your architectural modern history courses, they are/were "starchitects" in their time. If they were hired for their namesake and the architect specifically in multiple countries and on multiple continents then they were, essentially, "starchitects".

Some of them are dead now but like dead artists, their work is greatly valued (perhaps over inflated).


Aug 2, 23 8:16 pm  · 
1  · 
b3tadine[sutures]

"We live, laugh, love" Paul Reubens

We Dutch don't struggle at all...

Aug 2, 23 8:16 pm  · 
 · 

"So be it" - Rijk Boelkens

Aug 2, 23 8:18 pm  · 
 · 
natematt

A lot of the people you listed have really bland names... just saying.

Aug 3, 23 2:42 am  · 
 · 

Fair enough. It is still a noticeable trend of starchitects to not have a bland name and if they did to use a pseudonym. While that trend may be less than it used to be but it used to be more so during a period that it is observable. Maybe I'll take back the part, "Architects with boring names tends to not to become 'starchitects' and get that sort of 'star' factor in the profession no matter how good their architectural work is" but there is still that trend factor to some degree.

Aug 3, 23 2:51 am  · 
 · 

You missed the joke.  

Paul Ruben died of cancer couple of days ago at the age of 70. 

Rem Koolhaas and Paul Ruben look a lot alike and have similar affinities to 'theatrical performances'  ;) 




Aug 2, 23 3:44 pm  · 
9  · 

Ah, ok. For some reason, Pee wee didn't quite come off to me looking close enough to Rem to draw that connection. I apologize for missing the joke.


Aug 2, 23 4:50 pm  · 
 · 
b3tadine[sutures]

REM FTW

Still dead, and still the greatest!

Aug 2, 23 6:35 pm  · 
2  · 
b3tadine[sutures]

"I won't work for the Kingdom of Saud" Pee Wee Herman

Let's be honest, I know, without a doubt, Pee-Wee would've never told the Nazis where Anne Frank was hiding.

Aug 2, 23 8:22 pm  · 
2  · 
b3tadine[sutures]

"This will never stop being funny!" Rem Warmhaas
Aug 2, 23 6:45 pm  · 
2  · 

How to be a starchitect?

https://archinect.com/forum/th... 

or 

https://www.re-thinkingthefutu...

If I go by the 12-step program:

Step 1: Get yourself a name others can not pronouce.

Test theory: Rijk Boelkens  ((( DING DING DING )))   - ok that might work.

Step 2: Think outside the box 

Test theory: I'm wacky enough to do that. ((( DING DING DING ))) - ok, I'm close enough.

Step 3: Have an attitude towards 'Criticism'

Test theory: I'm unapologetically guilty of being an asshole.  Criticizing others in a condescending asshole manner with an over-inflated ego, is easy peasy. ((( DING DING DING )))

Step 4: Test the boundaries of Architecture

Test theory: I test the boundaries of patience in the architecture community every day. Haven't been quite so testing the boundaries of architectural form and structural design.... [[[ jury is out on that one ]]]

Lets see if I can side step that step and circle back to that later.

Step 5: Trend Setter:

Test Theory: Have not had the opportunity. Test theory of Step 6.

Step 6: Get yourself a 'Copytect'

Test theory: Well need fame enough for that... or infamy. 

Step 7: Masterclass

Test Theory: Potential opportunity is there. Damn.... seems still stuck at Step 4.

Step 8: Social Media coverage:

Test Theory: I'm already on social media and so I'm already have some coverage but need some more work to rise in the ranking.

Step 9: Talk Ted....

Test Theory: Same problem as Step 7.

Step 10: The infamous 'Architects' attitude

Test theory: About fucking time. I have the attitude. Proud asshole and unapologetic about it. Fuck yes. Now Fuck you lemmings.

Step 11: Embrace design in all its forms

Test theory: design buildings, landscape design. I'm well on my way to there.

Step 12: Deny the legibility of the word (starchitecture)

Test theory: Startecture is utter bullshit idea of an obfuscated moron. We're just modest individuals that challenges the norms. If we don't, how are we architects if we just design yesterday's designs?

Sincerely,

Rijk Boelkens, Poikkeuksellinen Kansainvälinen Arkkitehti 


Aug 2, 23 9:19 pm  · 
 · 
luvu

Step 13 :

Aug 3, 23 5:12 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

I heard he died.

Aug 3, 23 6:49 am  · 
3  · 
JosephPinkm

He isn’t a good architect in the first place. Really sorry for him that his successor is even worse. That fucking Berlage idiot can’t speak English let alone design anything. 

Aug 5, 23 2:20 pm  · 
 ·  1

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