Rem Koolhaas: Transforming the Countryside

Sep 2, 2024

Notes from the Lecture by Rem Koolhaas

Introduction

  • Rem Koolhaas is presenting on the themes related to the countryside and its transformation.
  • Acknowledges the short notice for the talk and expresses gratitude for attendance.
  • The discussion aims to last about an hour to allow students to return to their studios.

Context of the Presentation

  • Recent focus on the countryside due to urban conditions.
  • Not previously extensively discussed in architecture.
  • Significant transformation in the countryside due to refugee influx and global changes.
  • Focus on how the countryside is adapting to new social and economic conditions.

Key Themes Presented

Urban vs. Countryside

  • More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas.
  • The countryside has been largely overlooked in recent architectural discourse.
  • Koolhaas notes a "repressed" condition of the countryside in modern thinking.

Current Trends in the Countryside

  • Observations of depopulation and transformation of rural areas:
    • Farms being converted into homes.
    • Migration patterns changing rural demographics.
  • The countryside is not shrinking but changing in composition and density.
  • Increased automation and technology in agriculture.

The Role of Technology

  • Agriculture increasingly digitized and technologically advanced, resembling urban systems.
  • Use of technology such as drones in modern farming.
  • New agricultural practices being implemented, including hydroponics and artificial environments.

Architectural Implications

  • Introduction of highly organized and rationalized systems in the countryside.
  • Emergence of new architectural forms driven by technological advances.
  • Speculation on how architecture can respond to these changes in the countryside.

Migration and Its Effects

  • Discussion on the impact of large-scale migration on the countryside, especially in Europe.
  • Potential for immigrants to inhabit and revitalize depopulated rural areas.
  • Political and economic discussions surrounding integration of immigrants into rural communities.

Future Considerations

  • The need for a new architectural imagination to incorporate the realities of the countryside.
  • The tension between authenticity and artificiality in rural settings.
  • Exploration of the balance between nostalgia for traditional rural life and the realities of modernization.

Final Thoughts

  • The interaction between urban and rural spaces is complex and evolving.
  • Understanding the dynamics of human presence versus automation in these spaces is crucial.
  • Call for further exploration and discussion on these themes in future studies.