In this fanciful volume, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (O.M.A.), both analyzes and celebrates N...
read full description
reviews
Jul 04, 2011
Koolhaas has great material. New York is WEIRD. And he paints a wonderful picture of it at various historical and spatial stages.
I take issue with his overarching theory. Much like what I refer to as the "things stoners thinking of when watching Wallace and Gromit" school of literary criticism (Baudrillard, Virilio), he prefers wacky style to cogent argument.
A good example of his school can be found in this conclusion I came to while stoned and watching Walla More...
I take issue with his overarching theory. Much like what I refer to as the "things stoners thinking of when watching Wallace and Gromit" school of literary criticism (Baudrillard, Virilio), he prefers wacky style to cogent argument.
A good example of his school can be found in this conclusion I came to while stoned and watching Walla More...
Jul 09, 2009
Johnjbrantley
rated it: 
The main thing I learned from this book is that architects have incredible freedom in establishing their own narratives. It helps when it is done masterfully, as is the case here.
Seemingly unrelated and sometimes arbitrary elements intermingle to produce an intense and inimitable environment...the history of urban life in Manhattan becomes spectacle as seen through the critical eye of the author. Fueled by Koolhaas' precise and colorful verbal descriptions, the book makes good use More...
Seemingly unrelated and sometimes arbitrary elements intermingle to produce an intense and inimitable environment...the history of urban life in Manhattan becomes spectacle as seen through the critical eye of the author. Fueled by Koolhaas' precise and colorful verbal descriptions, the book makes good use More...
Jul 31, 2011
Matthew
rated it: 
Rem Koolhaas is an architect and writer whose style of glossy, heavily-illustrated art and architecture books have become the norm since their release in the 1970s. His most recent architectural work is the finally completed CCTV Tower in China, for which he has provided a long and detailed explanation on how it is the pinnacle of the theories he originally proposed in this book.
Published in 1978, Koolhaas proposed that the street grid system of Manhattan, as well as what he called the More...
Published in 1978, Koolhaas proposed that the street grid system of Manhattan, as well as what he called the More...
Mar 27, 2007
Sam
rated it:
It's got five-star moments, but Rem's not a writer. Sure, there are new, mind-expanding ideas, and new terms to define, but you can't trick me into thinking unclear writing is just "beyond me." It's just unclear writing.
But bushwhack through this babble and you catch fleeting vistas of lucid thought about the unique architecture of NYC.
Rem has put his mind to understanding both the material and psychological engines of architecture as one complex.
I More...
But bushwhack through this babble and you catch fleeting vistas of lucid thought about the unique architecture of NYC.
Rem has put his mind to understanding both the material and psychological engines of architecture as one complex.
I More...
Nov 22, 2007
Jake
rated it: 
Interesting historical tidbits about the development of New York (including some plans that were never built), wrapped up in a "retroactive manifesto" of Manhattanism, which, as these things go, is fairly readable, but makes much of small observations, like: the street grid calls attention to the finitude of the island, a skyscraper is a piece of territory repeated many times ("the Theorem"), a skyscraper breaks the traditional connection between exterior appearance and inter
More...
Jun 28, 2010
Thorsten
rated it:
seriously one of the most enjoyable books i've read, tracing the history of Manhattans construction with a particular focus from the late 19th century through to the late 1930s.
Jan 03, 2010
Michael
rated it:
More architectural fantasia, if you like that sort of thing. If you didn't already know it, New York only exists in your dreams.
Jul 29, 2009
Kathleen
rated it:
Strange. Thought-provoking. Curious. Funny. Informative. And sometimes annoying.
I am glad that I finally read it (and finally finished it), but I don't think it lived up to the hype. Don't get me wrong - parts were Very interesting and entertaining, but as a whole I didn't feel that way. I do think it hurt my opinion that this book took me soo long to finish. Had I read it in the span of a few weeks (instead of many, many months) it would probably have made more sense to me More...
I am glad that I finally read it (and finally finished it), but I don't think it lived up to the hype. Don't get me wrong - parts were Very interesting and entertaining, but as a whole I didn't feel that way. I do think it hurt my opinion that this book took me soo long to finish. Had I read it in the span of a few weeks (instead of many, many months) it would probably have made more sense to me More...
Dec 03, 2008
Certainly one of the top 10 retroactive urbanist manifestos of the 1970s. Genius, in fact.
Mar 05, 2011
Vanzetti
rated it:
Wrote back in the 70's, but if you read it today it feels it was written just today.
Jan 17, 2009
Andrew
rated it:
One of the best books on cities I have ever read. Koolhaas at his best.
Feb 24, 2011
Adastra
rated it:
This is a non-fiction book focusing on the history of New York's architecture, explaining how this city architectually exploded into what it is now. It's from the 70's so it's not exactly up to date, and the writing style lives up to it's "delirious" title sometimes.
Not every chapter is captivating, but altogether it's a very interesting history lesson on New York. I was especially surprised by the rich history of Coney Island, considering the sad (but somehow beautiful) lit More...
Not every chapter is captivating, but altogether it's a very interesting history lesson on New York. I was especially surprised by the rich history of Coney Island, considering the sad (but somehow beautiful) lit More...
Apr 09, 2009
Kevin
rated it:
first anthropology book about a city. the trick was simple, acquire a collection of tourist postcards, identify previous crossroads/fantasy destinations, analyze the 1)deformity in the postcard's view, the condensation, 2)analyze the connections between scales, materialism, pleasure, classes. link in loose narrative these narratives of building. result: masterpiece.
Apr 10, 2011
Ian
rated it:
"If Manhattan is an archipelago of Paranoid-Critical islands insulated by the neutralizing lagoon of the Grid, then to spill their hidden contents into the objective space of the street is a subversive action [...] Manhattanism acts in self-defense to restore the integrity of it formula [...]" (273).
May 26, 2009
Michelle
rated it:
This was the May book cub book 2009. It was very interesting and so different from anything that we have ever read. I really enjoyed learning about how New York was constructed and how New York came to be. I would recommend it to anyone, but you have to recognize that it was much more of a text book than a novel about New York
Jan 28, 2008
Archer
rated it:
The only book by Rem I have read. It was great, with a abundance of fascinating and personal insight. Anecdotes, Analogies, Allegory, it's All there. A good sense of wonder. A researched informative graph. A picture book. SERIOUSLY FOLKS THIS BOOKS GOT IT ALL. Read it in the large format if you can find it or afford it.
Dec 17, 2009
coney island as laboratory for new york architectural innovation. what ny would have looked like if corbusier had his way. the genius of rockefeller center. cold hard man love of the skyscraper age. this is an essential book for anyone who loves the city. equal parts cultural/social history, urban studies, and architecture.
Dec 17, 2009
jw
rated it:
A fun and thoughtful love letter to the greatest city in the world, Rem Koolhaus not only takes us through an architectural history of nyc (the extensive coverage of coney island is delightful) -- he also proposes some fanciful projects to the city. That Rem is one kool nutjob.
Sep 14, 2008
Sean Billy
rated it:
Living in nyc, this introduced a really interesting history of the city. The ideas where clear and definitely made me think more critically of how the city, its history, and the influence of the grid has shaped its growth/past/future. Good solid work Rem.
Dec 31, 2009
I am actually reading it, but it's not really easy to read. I've read it in bits and pieces and hope to focus a bit more around the holidays. Nevertheless, it will take a while. I do find it interesting.
... not sure who I'd recommend it to though......
... not sure who I'd recommend it to though......
Sep 05, 2007
Sascha
rated it:
awesome. the first chapter alone is mind-blowing...you probably have no idea how crazy coney island was before 1914. steamers carrying people from manhattan. midget towns. perpetually burning buildings. premature baby incubators. all part of the fun...
Jun 02, 2008
Adb
rated it: 
pure unadulterated architectural self-aggrandizement. completely pretentious crap. some interesting material, but you have to wade through every other sentence of bullshit metaphysical declarations that this guy just pulls out of his ass.
Dec 21, 2007
Doug
rated it:
Certainly delirious, certainly a manifesto. A bit too breathless and over-eager for history, but spot on for entertainment and legend-making.
I loved the coney island chapter. Now I want to go to coney at 4 am and run the steeplechase.
I loved the coney island chapter. Now I want to go to coney at 4 am and run the steeplechase.
Dec 17, 2009
Brandon
rated it: 
i mean it's good for a while, after you get over the stupidity of manhattan being a "cliotris."
like a lot of rem's earlier efforts, it's good underneath but the stuff on top--jesus, either ignore it or don't bother trying to read it.
like a lot of rem's earlier efforts, it's good underneath but the stuff on top--jesus, either ignore it or don't bother trying to read it.
Oct 16, 2007
Liz
rated it:
i'm considering grad school for architecture and my architect husband is having me read this as a sort of pre-cursor to school. "What you should know before studying architecture" i guess.
Apr 20, 2008
Tim
rated it:
READ READ READ this book. If you live in NYC READ THIS BOOK. It will change your life - but maybe only if you are an architect...but just maybe.
Oct 30, 2007
Joe
rated it:
rem koolhaus presents the metropolis in all its psychogeographical glory. interesting ideas about how the modern cityscape effects, well, everything.
Jul 02, 2007
Jason
rated it:
This book was given to me by an architect friend. It seriously changed the way I interact with the crazy, crazy, landscape of New York City.
