Reference Point

Уж не знаю, приоткрою ли я завесу для кого-либо, но сейчас я запишу о Роттердамском офисе ома. Из цифр — около 200 сотрудников, 3 этажа (+мезанин и макетная мастерская), своя столовая и кухня, бла бла бла.
О том, что такое для Колхаса Роттердам, можно прочитать в эссе "The Terrifying Beauty of the Twentieth Century" в разделе S всем известной S,M,L,XL.
С архитектурной точки зрения, здание, да и сам интерьер, максимально безлики. Вот что Рэм говорит в интервью для немецкого журнала Spiegel о доме на Heer Bokelweg:

Koolhaas: That could have something to do with the fact that this is a very ambitious building. Look, we -- that is, my firm and I -- work in a completely non-descript building in Rotterdam. It couldn't be plainer. It's from the 1960s, and it's an open room with a nice view. We are almost ecstatically happy. Why? We can do anything there. We can imprint our personality onto the building. In an ambitious building like yours, it might be the other way around.
<...>
Koolhaas: But it's true. Our building in Rotterdam has less character than yours. In fact, it has zero character. It can be wonderful when a building has character, but it can also be an obstacle. It can limit you. I have mixed feelings about this.

Собственно, он всё сказал, ни убавить, ни прибавить. Очевидно, что вся сила ома — в проектах и в людях, делающих их днями и ночами. Должна признать, им для этого созданы все условия.

Rem Koolhaas in El Croquis 131/132

back to R'dam

я вернулась из Будапешта, где все 5 дней меня не покидало ощущение дежавю. Но об этом не будем.
Я переезжаю в новую комнату завтра окончательно, и впереди меня ждёт самый необычный новый год — я буду встречать его одна в не очень-то знакомом городе, да и наверняка с проливным дождём. Наверное, я просто лягу спать.

очень хочется снега

SPIEGEL: Is it true that only 5 percent of your designs are actually built?
Koolhaas: Yes.
SPIEGEL: That must be frustrating.

Koolhaas: That’s our dirty secret. We architects are celebrated as heroes — but humiliation is part of our daily lives. The biggest part of our work for competitions and bid invitations disappears automatically. No other profession would accept such conditions. But you can’t look at these designs as waste. They’re ideas; they will survive in books.

<…>

SPIEGEL: Do you or don’t you like our building?
Koolhaas: You’ll get used to it. But I believe you have to conquer the lobby. Buy two rugs, sew the two rugs together, then buy a third one and declare the lobby occupied. Occupy SPIEGEL!
SPIEGEL: Mr. Koolhaas, thank you for this interview.


Сейчас станет посвободнее, я вооружусь камерой и напишу развернутый пост про студию с картинками. А после отправлюсь на несколько дней в Будапешт.


Meanwhile in Rotterdam

The first word from abroad

So what. I'm here for a week almost. And because of home news it's so damn hard to concentrate on this life. But so many things were changed and even more are about to be. Thank god today everything passed well and I start my work on monday.
Meantime, after small protest again election fraud in Russia we walked to the seashore in The Hague. Just as I dreamt about. The next goal is Wadden sea and isles.
And some photos from today. Shame on me, I almost didn't make any shots those days and looked alike a sucked lemon. I think for a while this is my last note in english, I go on with my mother tongue. And from now it's gonna be alright.