Bigness, a problem of large | Rem Koolhaas

If Paragon is just like a lego?

Ten thousand of people walking in the paragon each day, i know you are also one of them. Have you ever know what time it is without looking at the watch of time on your telephone? The department store itself doesn’t even put the clock up on the wall to show what time is actually is because they did not want you to leave by the conscious of time. Technology shape us in a way very unhealthy, some expert claim that and that seem to be very true that even normal people have a concern but does not take it seriously since being in the air-con is such a great time in hot weather. 

Rem koolhaas claim in his manifesto that Bigness = Junk space.

The meaning is clearly expresses when architects through away the real meaning of architecture by making it ‘can be anywhere in the world’. By putting air-conditioner, artificial light, closed large space. The final outcome will give you an isolate place that not have anything relate to outside surrounding, you feel endlessness of space and being freeze in time.

“Architecture die in 20th century!”

– Rem Koolhaas on Bigness,Manifesto.

If compare a bigness or building into a piece of object it is a Lego where every unit has it own environment (color) and it construct as one big structure without losing itself, and the lego can be anywhere in the world without making context change or the context change lego itself. That how the Bigness works.

To considered bigness in space, Rem haas categorize it to be

1. A critical Mass | a single architectural gesture that can not control.
2. Beyond the scale of human | something like Pantheon where the large space is not necessary for human at all.
3. What you can see is not what you get | The hidden structure in big building making it a un alive box space.
4. It subtext fuck its context | Its context does not neccessary for building anymore, no matter which place it is. Only inside that matter to the building. (eg. Paragon)

And how to solve that problem

one of the good example Rem has innovated the junk space in the Mies Van De Rohe building. McCormick Tribune Campus Center :

The hallway was act only as a walkway then he turns it into a useful computer bar where people can chat online and interact with people who walk by, and by using the cheapest materials to represent the minimalism in use of materials. 

He also attack the transportation issue where he integrate the sky train into the building and leaves the underneath as a study hall.

 

 In additional, the ramp for handicap, the auditorium and bench in hall way, are added to turn the junk into useful one. He also paint interior in to bright red and yellow tone to turn the experience extremely between inside and outside, so while outside is 0 degree you walk inside and feel so warm and tender.

 

Sections of McCormick Campus Center, Rem Koolhaas renovated. Mies Van De Rohe built.

(All : left side - McCormick Tribune Center | Right side -  Paragon Department Store)