Hasta La Ideas

News: architect Rem Koolhaas has today been confirmed as the director of the next Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014 and wants to use the opportunity to readdress the “fundamental elements of architecture”.

“We want to take a fresh look at the fundamental elements of architecture – used by any architect, anywhere, anytime – to see if we can discover something new about architecture,” said Koolhaas, founding partner of Dutch firm OMA.

In a meeting held today, the Board of the Venice Architecture Biennale thanked 2012 director David Chipeprfield for the results of the thirteenth event, before welcoming Koolhaas as the fourteenth architecture director.

Biennale president Paolo Baratta concluded: “The Architecture Exhibitions of the Biennale have gradually grown in importance internationally. Rem Koolhaas, one of the most significant personalities among the architects of our time – who has based all his work on intense research, now renowned celebrity – has accepted to engage himself in yet another research and, why not, rethinking.”

Rumours first circulated about Koolhaas’ appointment in August, after assistant director for the 2012 biennale Kieran Long tweeted “it’s certain to be Rem Koolhaas next time. Done deal say my sources.”

Koolhaas was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2010 biennale, while for 2012 OMA presented an exhibition of buildings designed by European local authority architects in the 1960s and 70s.

We’ve filmed a few movies with Koolhaas, including his introduction to OMA’s Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow and a series filmed at the OMA/Progress exhibition at the Barbican in London – watch them here or below.

Above: Koolhaas introduces OMA’s Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow at the ICA in London.

Above: Koolhaas gives a tour of the OMA/Progress exhibition at the Barbican in London.

Above: Koolhaas talks about his preoccupations including the countryside and generic architecture at the OMA/Progress exhibition.

Above: Koolhaas speaks about his Project Japan book at the OMA/Progress exhibition.

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