Rem Koolhaas continues to actively capitalize on the ongoing construction boom in the Middle East. Two new items have been added to his impressive list of projects for this region: a master plan for a new district of the capital of Kuwait and a project for a new airport in the Saudi city of Jeddah, through which pilgrims arrive in Mecca during the Hajj.
The Kuwait El Rai area, according to the architect, should become a rare example of a pedestrian zone for Kuwait. This city 50 years ago was nothing more than a fishing village. Now he is experiencing the phenomenon of uncontrollable "spreading" of his territory, which is characteristic of modern megacities. As a result, it is possible to move around it almost exclusively by car. Now, thanks to the project of Koolhaas and his workshop, there should appear a pedestrian-friendly building array, including an open shopping center on the principle of a passage, but without glass ceilings, office complexes, a hospital, a theater, hotels, a congress center, shops, markets, a mosque. … To make a walk in Kuwait El Rai comfortable for the townspeople even in the heat, there are a variety of awnings, sun screens, awnings, etc. It is also planned to use the type of building typical for Arab cities with upper tiers protruding above the first floor.
Jeddah Airport is a complex of two terminals of the same type, differing in size. The first is for the main flow of passengers, the other is for the royals. Both are rounded in plan, in the center of each there is an "oasis", a vast garden that plays the role of a recreational area. Due to the fact that the departure and arrival halls are located there on the same level, during the hajj their functions can be changed: at the beginning, use the maximum space for receiving aircraft, and at the end - for sending them.
Koolhaas developed a more ambitious project for Latin America. We are talking about the Torre Bicentenario skyscraper for Mexico City with a height of 300 meters, which should become the tallest building on the continent. Now the position of the leader is occupied by the 225-meter Torre Mayor tower in the same city, located not far from the proposed construction site of the new skyscraper.
The 64-storey Torre Bicentenario is slated to be completed by 2010, marking the bicentennial of Mexico's independence and the centenary of the Mexican Revolution. The project consists of two irregular pyramids connected by their bases. In the widest section of the building thus formed, Koolhaas has planned a sky lobby with a balcony, a congress center, a gym and a museum. At this point, at an altitude of about 100 m, a cavity will be arranged in the massif of the building, uniting several floors. It is designed to facilitate ventilation of the building and allow daylight to penetrate into the maximum number of rooms.
But the success of Rem Koolhaas abroad, the Netherlands, unfortunately, does not guarantee the safety of his buildings at home. The municipal authorities of The Hague are now planning to demolish the Dance Theater, built in this city by Koolhaas's design in 1984-1987. It was the first large building that he managed to build, but now its layout and technical equipment no longer meet modern requirements. A new theater on this site should appear by 2012.
