| This thesis explores the question of inside-outside relationships in the projects of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas (1944-- ). The objective is to define and to understand what seems to be a new phenomena: the use in architecture of the frictions generated by the relation between enclosed space and the city.; In Modern architecture, continuity and transparence have been mainly used in situations where the architectural entity could not be endangered. In Postmodern architecture, the conflicts and contradictions of contemporary urban spaces have often been readily integrated into built projects, but this integration has rarely resulted in anything more than an image of conflicts and contradictions.; The different architectural strategies used by Koolhaas to open his architecture to the outside will be studied through an analysis of his projects and writings for the period 1971--1997. We shall also see how these strategies of openness are compensated by another set of strategies that seek to preserve the building as a functional entity. The Rotterdam Kunsthal, a pivotal project in Koolhaas' career, will be the object of an in-depth case study that uses archival material from the Netherlands Architecture institute. |
