THE KUNSTHDAL ROTTERDAMREM KOOLHAAS

FOR

M The Kunsthal Rotterdam built in 1992 was designed by architect Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). The building hosts 3000 square me-ters of exhibition space, an auditorium, a book shop, and a restaurant. The exhibition areas include two large, and two smaller galleries that can be used together or separately. Its location situates it as the gateway to Rotter-dam’s cultural amenities (OMA Website).

The Kunsthal was built as an invest-ment in Rotterdam’s cultural capital to stimu-late tourism. The city is now is now one of the cultural hubs of The Netherlands. Since destruction during World War II the city has undergone infrastructure, economic and cultural regeneration. In the 1990’s the city developed “clusters” in telecommunication, and audio-visual services, and design and me-dia, striving to develop an image as a cultural city. Rotterdam has a rich history of culture, and wanted to promote it as cultural tourism. What Rotterdam was missing to succeed this goal was an adequate supply of cultural facili-ties. The Kunsthal was built with the desire for architecture that could draw global atten-tion, and could put Rotterdam on the Euro-pean Cultural stage.

2

The modest exterior form of the building says little to reveal the complexities of the building’s interior. During an interview with New York Times Koolhaas said, ‘’I like to do things that on first sight have a degree of simplicity but show their complexity in the way they are used or at second glance,’’ this is certainly the case for this Rotterdam project.

Kunsthal’s program is contained in a rectangular prism. In plan, the building is a square crosses by two routes, creating four autonomous projects. The Site is slopped, with the approach from the Maasboulevar being six meters higher than the park to the north. A ramp runs north south though the core of the building, connecting the busy Maasboulevard, to the park. This ramp also separates the galleries on the east, from the rest of the program on the west. The driving concept of the design is that of a continuous circuit. A spiral circu-lation route, enabled by the use of large ramps, connects the public areas of the Kunsthal. The ramps give the building a sense that floors have dropped down and moved up to meet each other

1. Square Plan 2. Exterior/Public Circulation. 4. Four Autonomous Projects. 3. Program Separation. 5. Continuous Circulation

3Circulation in Section Form in Section

FOR

M

FOR

M Some have referred to Kunsthal as a post-modernist project due to the use of the juxtaposition of a range of materials, includ-ing black glass, corrugated galvanized metal grills, steel, concrete, stone cladding, and glazing. The material composition of Kunsthal is characterized by a sequence of surprises; Koolhaas takes advantage of the unexpected with material, as well as structure and pro-gram to create experiences that are both sacred and profane.

Koolhaas Worked with Structural En-gineer Cecil Balmond to generate a form that was truly a collaboration of Architecture and Engineering. Balmond does not see a sepa-ration between architecture and Structure; rather, they are aspects of a unified whole that generate form (Baumeister and Lee). Balmond sought to brake out of the dominant order, he said, “Trapped by the Cartesian Cage I wanted to break out … that opportunity came with Rem Koolhaas and the Kunsthal Rotterdam.” Working together that two were able to generate the unusual structural build-ing components such as the ramps supported it by seemingly unstable angled columns.

4

5

Peter Eisenman brings to our attention two opposing concerns with form; the first is a concern for internal composition, the program and how it is organized, and the second is a ‘concern for the articula-tion of ideal themes in form” (Eisenman 1968). Eisenman explains that these concerns are two sides of the same coin, the challenge being to work with them together. After the industrial revolution programs became increasingly complex, as a result the type-form relationship shifted. Architects since turning to the simplified doctrine of ‘form follows function.’Eisenman On the other hand Balmond argues that a form does not stand alone, explaining, a form is ‘almost a product of it’s content’ (Baumeister and Lee).

It would be inaccurate to say Koolhaas formally took a form follows function approach. He started the de-sign with a piece of pure geometry, a square, for the plan. He then added a primary circulation route, that’s open to the public and the outdoors, acting to divide the space into four regions.

If Koolhaas had taken the concept of generating a space with continuous circulation, without the initial plan of a square he may have resulted in an entirely different building. A variety of forms could have devel-oped, to illustrate this I will present an alternative. He could have taken the deign approach that he used but used a different piece of geometry, let’s say an ellipse. He could have included the same and circula-tion but he would have achieved a very different form, although interestingly a similar profile would have resulted.

Circulation in Plan

FOR

M

THE KUNSTHDAL ROTTERDAMBODY

BODY 7

HA

PPY/

SAD

GO

OD

/BA

D

DU

ALI

SM

SIN

GU

LAR

MALE FORM

MA

LE F

ORM

?

In th

e te

xt “

the

build

ing

in p

ain

Ant

hony

V

idle

r w

rite

s ab

out t

he h

isto

ry o

f th

e bo

dy

and

arch

itect

ure,

est

ablis

hing

thre

e hi

stor

i-ca

l per

iods

; the

bui

ldin

g as

bod

y, b

uild

ing

as

epito

miz

ing

bodi

ly s

tate

s an

d th

e en

viro

n-m

ent e

ndow

ed w

ith b

ody.

One

can

dis

cuss

th

e K

unst

hal R

otte

rdam

in li

ght o

f th

e fi r

st

two

of th

ese

hist

oric

al p

erio

ds. F

irst

, as

Vid

ler

expl

ains

, “In

vitr

uvia

n an

d re

nais

sanc

e th

eory

, th

e bo

dy is

dir

ectly

pro

ject

ed o

n to

the

build

-in

g.”

(Vid

ler

1990

). A

s th

ough

res

pond

ing

dire

ctly

to V

idle

r’s

hist

oric

al d

escr

iptio

n, R

em

Koo

lhaa

s ha

s lit

eral

ly p

roje

cted

the

mal

e bo

dy

onto

the

Kun

stha

l Rot

terd

am. A

n ic

on o

f th

e m

ale fi g

ure

is u

sed

twic

e on

the

build

ing

The

fi r

st is

see

n as

one

app

roac

hes

the

build

ing

from

afa

r. T

he s

econ

d co

py o

f th

e sa

me

im-

age

is lo

cate

d at

the

entr

ance

, bot

h in

stan

ces

the

imag

es is

situ

ated

bes

ide

a se

t of

arro

ws

beco

min

g m

an to

com

e fo

rwar

d.

The

add

ition

gra

phic

rep

rese

ntat

ions

of

the

body

in th

e m

useu

m a

re a

pai

r of

sm

iley

face

s on

two

pane

s of

gla

ss th

at a

ppea

r to

ove

r la

p,

mer

ging

to g

ener

ate

an e

xpre

ssio

n th

at b

egin

s to

look

mor

e lik

e a

pig

that

a h

uman

.

BODY 8

The

exp

erie

nce

of th

e bu

ildin

g st

arts

with

the

entr

ance

. The

gra

phic

on

the

fron

t doo

r is

icon

ical

y m

ale;

the

imag

e sp

eaki

ng to

Fila

ret’s

di

stin

ctio

n th

at n

ot o

nly

is a

rchi

tect

ure

linke

d to

the

hum

an b

ody,

it is

link

ed to

the

mal

e bo

dy, “

the

build

ing

is c

onst

ruct

ed a

s a

sim

ile

for

the

hum

an fi

gure

. You

see

that

I h

ave

show

n yo

u by

mea

ns o

f a

sim

ile th

at a

bui

ldin

g is

der

ived

fro

m m

an…

” (A

gres

t Thi

s m

ale

grap

hic

is m

ost o

ften

see

n pa

ired

with

it c

ount

er p

art t

he ‘

fem

ale’

gra

phic

. The

fem

ale

is e

xclu

ded

in it

s ab

senc

e. A

ccor

ding

to A

gres

t’s

logi

c, w

hen

som

ethi

ng is

exc

lude

d so

met

hing

is n

eces

sari

ly in

clud

ed. T

his

has

been

the

case

with

the

hist

ory

of a

rchi

tect

ure

in w

hich

th

e m

ale

body

has

pla

yed

a fo

unda

tiona

l rol

e, w

hile

the

fem

ale

body

has

had

no

pres

ence

. It c

ould

be

argu

ed th

at th

e si

ngul

ar p

rese

nce

of m

an o

n th

e bu

ildin

g su

ppor

ts A

gres

t’s a

rgum

ent t

hat L

ogoc

entr

ism

and

mal

e an

thro

pom

orph

ism

has

bee

n th

e fo

unda

tiona

l sys

tem

in

arch

itect

ure

sinc

e V

itruv

ius.

Sin

ce th

e re

nais

sanc

e an

y vo

ice

that

dec

lare

d th

at b

uild

ings

sho

uld

embr

ace

or e

mbo

dy th

e fe

mal

e fo

rm

was

not

hea

rd. I

f L

eona

rd D

a V

inci

eve

r dr

ew a

Vitr

uvia

n w

oman

, tho

se d

raw

ings

wer

e lo

st, n

ever

to m

ake

thei

r pl

ace

in h

isto

ry. U

pon

map

ping

cir

cula

tion

arou

nd a

nd th

ough

the

build

ing,

a f

orm

al s

imila

rity

to F

ranc

esco

di G

iorg

io M

artin

i’s p

ropo

rtio

ning

of

a te

mpl

e de

sign

, can

be

seen

.

CIR

CU

LATI

ON

MA

P

BODY 9

The

Kun

stha

l als

o sp

eaks

to V

idle

r’s

seco

nd h

isto

rica

l per

iod

– th

at o

f th

e bu

ildin

g ep

itom

izin

g bo

dily

sta

tes.

Koo

l-ha

as tr

uly

succ

eede

d in

cre

atin

g a

subl

ime

arch

itect

ure,

that

evo

kes

terr

or, f

ear,

and

delig

ht. T

he jo

urne

y th

roug

h th

e bu

ildin

g br

ings

on

thes

e em

otio

ns in

pat

tern

. The

Kun

stha

l Rot

terd

am K

oolh

aas

gene

rate

s a

com

posi

tion

of e

mot

ion-

al s

tate

s, ta

king

the

mus

eum

s gu

est t

hrou

gh a

phy

siol

ogic

al jo

urne

y th

ough

the

build

ing.

Thi

s ex

peri

ence

sta

rts

with

th

e de

light

of

ente

ring

the

build

ing.

The

re is

sur

pris

e w

hen

one

disc

over

s th

at th

ey e

nter

the

mus

eum

, at t

he f

ront

of

AN

XIET

Y

SUPR

ISE

DEL

IGH

T

THR

EE

EM

OTI

ON

AL

STA

TES

9

BODY

supr

ise

delig

htax

iety

contrasting smileys

stage frieght

the forest

angular pillars

Beautiful textures

image of scelaton

exhibition space

views

exhibition space

garden room

kuns

tal r

otte

rdam

_em

otio

nal e

xper

ienc

eku

nsta

l rot

terd

am_e

mot

iona

l exp

erie

nce

a th

eate

r, an

d th

en f

ear

at h

e re

aliz

atio

n th

at th

e su

ppor

ting

colu

mns

look

as

thou

gh th

ey a

re a

bout

to c

olla

pse.

The

exp

erie

ntia

l jou

rney

th

roug

hout

the

build

ing

is b

ased

on

perc

eptio

n an

d th

is jo

urne

y co

uld

cont

inue

to c

hang

e de

pend

ing

on th

e in

divi

dual

. The

Kun

stha

l R

otte

rdam

can

not b

e ex

peri

ence

d pu

rely

by

sigh

t but

mus

t be

expe

rien

ced.

It i

s no

t sum

med

up

pure

ly in

the

visu

al b

ut a

lso

in m

ater

ial

text

ures

, qua

lity

of li

ght,

and

emot

iona

l sta

tes.

10

BODYW

orks

Cite

d

Agr

est,

Dia

na (

1993

). “

Arc

hite

ctur

e fr

om w

ithou

t: B

ody

Log

ic a

nd S

ex”,

in A

rchi

tect

ure

With

out.

Mel

eauu

-Pon

ty, “

The

Syn

thes

is o

f O

ne’s

Ow

n B

ody”

in P

heno

men

olog

y of

Per

cept

ion

Vid

ler,

Ant

hony

. (19

93)“

The

Bui

ldin

g in

Pai

n: T

he b

ody

and

Arc

hite

ctur

e in

Pos

t-M

oder

n C

ultu

re,”

in A

A fi

les1

9, A

rchi

tec-

tura

l Ass

ocia

tion.

THE KUNSTHDAL ROTTERDAMTECHNOQUE

TECHNIQUE

11

Tech

niqu

e

Rem

Koo

lhaa

s an

d C

ecil

Bal

mon

d w

orke

d to

geth

er e

ach

brin

ging

thei

r ow

n se

t of

tech

-ni

ques

, to

the

tabl

e to

pro

duce

the

Kun

stha

l R

otte

rdam

. The

Arc

hite

ct a

nd th

e en

gine

er,

each

with

thei

r ow

n se

t of

tech

niqu

es, b

oth

appr

oach

ed th

e pr

ojec

ts u

ncon

vent

iona

lly,

reim

agin

ing

norm

ativ

e sy

stem

s, to

pro

duce

th

e un

expe

cted

. By

payi

ng w

ith p

eopl

e ex

-pe

ctat

ions

, and

pro

duci

ng th

e un

expe

cted

em

otio

nal r

epos

es to

the

build

ing

and

it’s

com

pone

nts

coul

d be

pro

duce

d. R

em K

ool-

haas

mad

e so

me

form

al d

ecis

ions

, dec

idin

g to

cut

the

build

ing

with

bot

h ve

hicu

lar

and

pede

stri

an tr

affi c

, and

to b

ase

the fl o

or p

lans

an

d ci

rcul

atio

n on

a s

pira

l. K

oolh

aas

play

ed

with

the

unex

pect

ed in

his

use

of

his

prog

ram

ad

jace

ncie

s, g

raph

ics

and

mat

eria

ls. C

ecil

Bal

mon

d co

nfro

nted

the

Car

tesi

an g

rid

and,

an

d cr

eate

d a

stru

ctur

e th

at is

“fu

ll of

sta

ccat

o an

d of

f be

at r

hyth

m. U

sing

trad

ition

al te

ch-

niqu

es a

s a

star

ting

poin

t, B

alm

ond

was

not

bo

und

to p

aral

lel l

ines

or

pred

icta

ble

patte

rn

in th

is p

roje

ct.

TECHNIQUE

12

Koo

lhau

s -

Cir

cula

tion

It is

mos

t lik

ely

that

Rem

Koo

lhaa

s fi r

st s

tart

ed h

is p

roje

ct w

ith a

site

ana

lysi

s. T

he s

ite is

situ

ated

bet

wee

n th

e M

as-

bulo

vard

to th

e so

uth

and

the

Mus

eum

Par

k to

the

Nor

th. A

qui

ck s

ite a

naly

sis

wou

ld h

ave

reve

aled

that

ther

e ar

e tw

o ci

rcul

atio

n ro

utes

that

mov

e th

roug

h th

e si

te, a

ped

estr

ian

path

and

a v

ehic

ular

roa

d. R

athe

r th

an r

outin

g th

ese

path

-w

ays

arou

nd th

e m

useu

m, K

oolh

aas

deci

ded

that

the

path

s co

uld

be in

tegr

ated

into

the

build

ing

by g

oing

und

er a

nd

Maa

sbou

leva

rd/h

ighw

ay

MU

SEU

M P

ARK

KUN

STH

AL

SITE

IND

UST

RIA

LPe

dest

rican

Pat

hs

Vehi

cula

r pat

chs

Vehi

cula

r pat

chs

Circ

ulat

ion

thro

ugh

and

arou

nd b

uild

ing

TECHNIQUE

14Bif

Bifri

cicat

ing

ting

Fold

ing

oldi

ng

Spi

Spira

lal F

orm

thro

ugh

it. B

ring

ing

exte

rnal

cir

-cu

latio

n in

to th

e bu

ildin

g br

oke

the

proj

ect i

nto

four

dis

tinct

qu

adra

nts.

To

reun

ify

the

proj

ect,

Koo

haas

des

igne

d th

e ci

rcul

a-tio

n to

be

a sp

iral

. To

achi

eve

a sp

iral

ing

circ

ulat

ion

path

, the

fl o

or p

lats

we fi r

st b

ifur

cate

d an

d th

en f

olde

d ov

er e

ach

othe

r, to

al

low

for

the fl o

ors

to c

ontin

ue

upw

ards

with

out

div

isio

n.

Spira

l

TECHNIQUE

15

Cec

il B

alm

ond

used

a s

erie

s of

axi

oms

to d

efi n

e th

e lo

gic

behi

nd v

ario

us f

eatu

res

of th

e fo

rm a

nd

stru

ctur

e, th

e th

ree

axio

ms

that

he

used

wer

e br

ace,

sl

ip, a

nd f

ram

e.

Bal

mon

d lo

oks

to c

onve

ntio

nal s

truc

tura

l str

ate-

gies

as

a st

artin

g po

int a

nd th

en R

ethi

nks

thes

e st

rate

gies

to g

ener

ate

com

pelli

ng r

esul

ts. W

ithin

th

is p

roje

ct h

e do

es n

ot ta

ke a

ny p

roce

ss f

or

gran

ted

and

alw

ays

expl

ores

alte

rnat

ive

way

s of

ta

cklin

g st

ruct

ural

pro

blem

s. B

y br

akin

g aw

ay

from

sta

ndar

d co

nven

tions

Bal

mon

d is

has

fou

nd a

w

ay to

use

str

uctu

re to

trig

ger

emot

iona

l res

pons

es

such

as

delig

ht, s

urpr

ises

and

anx

iety

.

The

col

umns

in th

e m

ain

exhi

bitio

n sp

ace

slip

pa

ssed

eac

h ot

her.

Ori

gina

lly th

ere

wer

e fo

ur c

ol-

umns

pla

ced

on a

squ

are,

at t

he in

ters

ectio

n po

int

of th

e st

ruct

ural

gri

d. B

y al

low

ing

the

colu

mns

to

slip

pas

t eac

h ot

her

the

colu

mns

stil

l con

form

to

the

stru

ctur

al g

rid

whi

le a

llow

ing

for

a m

ore

dyna

mic

for

mal

ele

men

t with

in th

e sp

ace.

Bal

mon

d al

so r

etho

ught

the

trad

ition

al tr

uss

by

turn

ing

it on

its

side

, arg

uing

that

it is

mor

e vi

su-

ally

com

pelli

ng th

is w

ay a

nd a

lso

that

it is

arg

u-ab

ly s

tron

ger.

Brace

Slip

Frame

Cartesian column grid

Frame

CON

VEN

TIO

NA

L ST

ON

VEN

TIO

NA

L ST

RATE

GIE

STE

GIE

S

STSTRA

TEG

IES

REI

TEG

IES

REIM

AGIN

EDG

INED

Truss

Chan

Chan

ging

in

g fo

rce

Tran

sitio

nan

sitio

n

Rotate

stagger

shear

TECHNIQUE

6

Bal

mon

d en

able

d K

oolh

aas’

s sp

iral

by

mov

ing

beyo

nd th

e st

rict

ly h

ori-

zont

al a

nd v

ertic

al p

lane

s, a

nd b

ring

ing

in d

iago

nal s

urfa

ces.

To

brea

k th

e co

nven

tiona

l, co

lum

ns a

nd b

eam

cub

e he

sea

red

the

stru

ctur

e, a

nd

bifu

rcat

ed th

e fl o

or p

late

s, a

llow

ing

for

cont

inuo

us c

ircu

latio

n th

at s

pira

ls

upw

ards

. T

he s

uppo

rtin

g co

lum

ns a

re a

lso

angl

ed to

cou

nter

the

shif

ting

wei

ght o

f th

e fl o

or p

lats

. art

entr

ance

Ang

led

colu

mns

surf

acec

text

ure-

sAng

led

colu

mns

audi

ence

_sea

tings

tage

fre

ight

view

sSke

lato

ncon

tras

ting

smile

ys

Thr

ough

thei

r us

e of

mat

eria

l and

str

uctu

ral t

echn

ique

s B

alm

ond

and

Koo

lhau

s cr

eate

d a

seri

es o

f em

otio

nal r

espo

nses

¬ th

at o

ccup

ants

exp

e-ri

ence

as

they

mov

e th

roug

h th

e sp

ace.

Som

e of

the

stra

tegi

es th

at th

ey

use

thou

gh p

lace

men

t of

unex

pect

ed g

raph

ics,

suc

h as

the

smile

y fa

ces,

an

d th

e m

ale

sym

bol p

lace

d on

the

roof

and

at t

he e

ntra

nce,

thro

ugh

the

use

of u

nexp

ecte

d su

ch a

s th

e pe

rfor

ated

mat

eria

ls g

alva

nize

d st

eel fl

oor

-in

g. d

iago

nal fl

oor

pla

tes

and

irre

gula

r co

lum

ns.

cont

rast

ing

smile

ys

Skel

aton

view

s

stag

e fr

eigh

t

audi

ence

_sea

ting

Ang

led

colu

mns

surf

acec

text

ures

Ang

led

colu

mns

entr

ance

art

cont

rast

ing

smile

ys

Skel

aton

view

s

stag

e fr

eigh

t

audi

ence

_sea

ting

Ang

led

colu

mns

surf

acec

text

ures

Ang

led

colu

mns

entr

ance

art

TECHNIQUEW

orks

Cite

d

Agr

est,

Dia

na (

1993

). “

Arc

hite

ctur

e fr

om w

ithou

t: B

ody

Log

ic a

nd S

ex”,

in A

rchi

tect

ure

With

out.

Mel

eauu

-Pon

ty, “

The

Syn

thes

is o

f O

ne’s

Ow

n B

ody”

in P

heno

men

olog

y of

Per

cept

ion

Vid

ler,

Ant

hony

. (19

93)“

The

Bui

ldin

g in

Pai

n: T

he b

ody

and

Arc

hite

ctur

e in

Pos

t-M

oder

n C

ultu

re,”

in A

A fi

les1

9, A

rchi

tec-

tura

l Ass

ocia

tion.

Bal

mon

d, C

ecil

(200

2) I

nfor

mal

. Pre

stel

, Lon

don.

Bau

mei

ster

, Rut

h an

d Sa

ng L

ee. T

he d

omes

tic a

nd th

e fo

reig

n in

arc

hite

ctur

e.

Eis

enm

an, P

eter

(19

68)

“Pos

t Fun

ctio

nalis

m”

in K

.M. H

ays,

ed.

Arc

hite

ctur

e T

heor

ysi

nce

1968

,

OM

A. “

Kun

stha

l, N

ethe

rlan

ds, R

otte

rdam

, 199

2” R

etre

ived

on

Oct

1st

201

0, f

rom