OMA’s Kunsthal in Rotterdam. Rem Koolhaas and the New Europe

Abstract

Opened in 1992, the Kunsthal in Rotterdam is a key design in the portfolio of Rem Koolhaas and OMA, the renowned firm Koolhaas cofounded in 1975. It is part of the Museumpark, a park also designed by OMA and the location of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi), the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, and the Museum of Natural History. In the 1990s, at the peak of his influence as an architect and architectural thinker, Koolhaas has been rightly called “the Le Corbusier of our times,” and the Kunsthal marks the threshold of his ascendancy. This outstanding space for art is a prime destination for countless architecture fans every year, and is celebrated by Tibor Pataky, architect and architectural historian, in this inspiring book. He explains the complex history, the programmatic background, and the cultural references of the design, allowing for a deeper understanding of this until today erratic work of architecture. He also places it in the context of OMA’s work of the 1980s, the intellectual environment of Deconstructivism, and the optimism sparked by the prospect of Europe’s unification. Eight captivating series of illustrations—historic and new photographs, plans and documents from OMA’s archive, and other images—focus on the structure’s outstanding qualities and its embedding within the park. A set of new plans, especially drawn for this book, illustrates the highlights of OMA’s design. The volume is a hugely attractive tribute to one of the most significant works of post-WWII architecture in Europe.