Rem Koolhaas

Rem Koolhaas, a Dutch architect and urbanist, has led a remarkable life. He was born on November 17, 1944, in Rotterdam and spent most of his youth there. In 1952, he lived briefly with his family in Indonesia, where he fully embraced the local culture.

Although his name is sometimes linked to the shoe brand United Nude, that company was actually founded by his nephew with the same name. Koolhaas began his career as a journalist at the Haagse Post in 1963. Five years later, he moved to London to study architecture and later continued his education in New York.

After graduating, he founded the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in London with his wife and a friend. Koolhaas contributed to many projects worldwide, including several in the Netherlands. His most notable works include the Netherlands embassy in Berlin (1997), the Seattle Public Library (1999), and China Central Television headquarters in Beijing (2004). 

His innovative designs earned him the nickname “starchitect.” He also taught at Harvard University in the US, where he inspired a new generation of architects.