Building of the week (18 years ago)

HOTEL and CONVENTION CENTRE in AGADIR by REM KOOLHAAS
Agadir, Morocco, 1990 (Competition)

Rem Koolhaas was born in 1944. After having lived in Indonesia between 1952 and 1956, he settled in Amsterdam as a journalist for the Haagse Post and as a film screenplay writer, before leaving for London to study architecture at the Architectural Association School. Two theoretical projects come from this period: The Berlin wall as architecture(1970) and Exodus, or the voluntary prisoners of architecture(1972).

A scholarship obtained in 1972 allowed him to stay in the United States, where, fascinated by New York, he started to analyze the impact of metropolitan culture on architecture and published Delirious New York, a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan.

At this stage, Rem Koolhaas wanted to progress from theory to practical application and decided to return to Europe. In London in 1975, he created, with Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Madelon Vriesendorp, the Office for Metropolitan Architecture(OMA), whose objectives were the definition of new types of relations —theoretical as well as practical— between architecture and the contemporary cultural situation.

Modeling Events

If you are using foam and you want to try a model without pins you may choose to purely subtract from the foam to represent your ideas and concepts. You are diagramming information on these models. You are also welcome to sculpt both sides of the foam if you find a use for this technique. Craft is important in these models so if you are sculpting the foam use the correct tools and sand to finish.

Important craft issues ::

Sand off any black markings that may be on the face of your foam before you commence your work.
Sand foam with a fine grit to finish (models should be smooth).
If stacking the foam because you have smaller than 2 in foam, use Aileen’s tacky glue (gold bottle) and spread evenly between the two layers, apply pressure (stacking books on top), and wait for it to dry. Follow by sanding the layers smooth.
When using paper you may choose to stack two pieces of paper together, but never use glue.

If you are having troubles finding pins, try any craft store, varsity, target, kmart, rendr ect....they are there somewhere. If you are still having troubles get some piano wire with a diameter from .020” to .032” and cut it to your desired length. You will need wire cutters, this wire is tough and rigid.

Bring models on Tuesday so we can discuss any issues you are having. It is a work day, so you are required to bring work. You will not be allowed to just simply sit at your desk, there is always something to work on. In the following years you will have one studio per semester and you will be required to work for four solid hours. We are asking for two so get to work. Bring questions and concerns and we will all see you on Tuesday. This is the last day to ask any questions before we begin grading on Thursday.

Remember your official due date for all of this material is Thursday February 7. This day will be a pin up day so be prepared to have all your assignments collected, fixed, and ready to pin up.

Things to pin up on Thursday ::

Photo Mosaic
One Extensive List
One Duration List
Four Extensive Chart/Graphs
Four Duration Chart/Graphs
Four Profile Knives
Three Profile Sections of your room each on its own 24 by 24 sheet of Vellum
One Isometric drawing of your three sections projected at 45/45 on own 24 by 24 sheet of Vellum
15 Chronophotography Prints (use a consistent format no smaller than 3 by 5, do not crop images)
Three Event Models

Make sure to have plenty of binder clips and pins for hanging your work.