Origins & Early Life

Remment Lucas Koolhaas (Dutch: [rɛm ˈkoːlɦaːs]; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist, and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He is often cited as a representative of deconstructivism and is the author of Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan. He is seen by some as one of the significant architectural thinkers and urbanists of his generation, by others as a self-important iconoclast. In 2000, Rem Koolhaas won the Pritzker Prize.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 2008, Time put him in their top 100 of The World's Most Influential People. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2014. Remment Koolhaas was born on 17 November 1944 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Anton Koolhaas (1912–1992) and Selinde Pietertje Roosenburg (born 1920). His father was a novelist, critic, and screenwriter. His maternal grandfather, Dirk Roosenburg (1887–1962), was a modernist architect who worked for Hendrik Petrus Berlage, before opening his own practice.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Rem Koolhaas has a brother, Thomas, and a sister, Annabel. His paternal cousin was the architect and urban planner...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aimee Semple McPherson — Contemporary (Died in 1944) (1944): Pioneering Pentecostal evangelist, famous for founding the Foursquare Church.
• Alan Parker — Contemporary (Born in 1944) (1944): Acclaimed English filmmaker known for genre versatility and numerous BAFTA and Golden Globe wins.
• Ali Sayad Shirazi — Contemporary (Born in 1944) (1944): Key Iranian military commander during the Iran-Iraq War, assassinated in 1999.
• Abba Eban — Shared historical date (11-17 · Died) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Auguste Rodin — Shared historical date (11-17 · Died) (1917): Founder of modern sculpture, celebrated for naturalism and emotional depth.
• Ban Ki-moon — Historical peer (Born in 1944) (1944): South Korean diplomat who served as the UN Secretary-General from 2007 to 2016.
• Barry White — Historical peer (Born in 1944) (1944): Iconic R&B, Soul, and Disco Singer known for his powerful bass voice.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Alec Guinness — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Iconic English actor celebrated for stage mastery and cinematic versatility.
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Dissident author who exposed Soviet repression, notably the Gulag system.
• 1944 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1944
• November 17 (11-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 17