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Content.
Rem Koolhaas, editor.
The sequel to Rem Koolhaas and OMA's
1998 tome S,M,L,XL
is almost anything but its predecessor. At 544 pages, Content
is 800 pages less, taking the form of a small format magazine
- a "boogazine" - with occasional advertisements
lowering its price below $20, compared to the XL
price of $75 for its precursor. Instead of using scale as
an organizational means, Content's only apparent
consistency across its assortment of pages is a geographical
movement from Los Angeles easterly to Japan, reiterated
by the words "GO EAST" present on most pages.
This movement sums up the present situation for OMA (and
its offshoot AMO) as it eyes the enormous potential in China
and the burgeoning urbanism of much of Asia. Not so much
a presentation of projects (though Universal Headquarters,
LACMA, Seattle Public Library, IIT Student Center, Hotel
for Ian Schrager, Whitney Museum addition, Casa da Musica,
Dutch Embassy, and CCTV are included) as a presentation
of ideas and political analysis, the "boogazine"
greatly illustrates the significant role of AMO since it
was created as a way to combat architecture's slowness and
its decreased relevance and meaning. While Content may not
redeem architecture, it definitely points to its immediate
future.
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