This is my theoretical master thesis, with which I graduated from the University of Innsbruck in 2014, under the supervision of Prof. Peter Trummer, Institute of Urban Design. I have combined the political theory of Roberto Mangabeira Unger with Jeffrey Kipnis’ idea of the object-to-ground relationship and analysed Rem Koolhaas’ public buildings accordingly. The result is the discovery of a surprising variety of strategies employed by Koolhaas to convey political critique through purely architectural means.
An excerpt featuring the introduction, a sample chapter (Rem Koolhaas’ Casa da Musica in Porto) and the conclusion: