Rem Koolhaas on Lagos
Thinking about Lagos thanks to the earlier youtube post reminded me of Rem Koolhaas and his long-term interest in Lagos. For those who don't know, Koolhaas is one of the top trendy/innovative European architects, with his practice, Office of Metropolitan Architecture, in Holland, as well as a design studio at Harvard. Click here to watch an hour long talk he gave at Documenta 11 on Lagos (Real Player link).
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6 comments:
... Well done Jeremy!!! RK 's totally fascinated with Lagos it seems. His first publication on Lagos - Mutations sent a lot of flack in his direction... ouch!!! he's been working on a Lagos book ... overdue!!! I can say he has done a tremendous amount of work exploring notions of modernity as expressed in Lagos.
Lagos works ... yes we all know ... but is this enough? i.e. just work? ... Credit must be given to him for making the city of Lagos topical ... its either dismissed or seduces ... a kind 'dysfunction fetish' or fixation with the 'informal' ...
If anyone wants more on Lagos thinking, Google; Matthew Gandy, read our own Akin Magbogunje, Uche Isichei ... We are according to the LSE bunch in the Urban Age ...
Should we then contemplate the fall of the nation state and rise of the city state ???
.. he's also got a couple of nigerians working for him .... He released a DVD on Lagos ... good stuff ... He does seem to have taken to our great city ...
I really wish we could have a SERIOUS MEANINGFUL debate on the state of our cities ... addressing the urban will help bring the various strands together ...
WHAT DOES LAGOS WANT TO BE?
WHAT DO OUR CITIES WANT TO BE?
WHAT DO WE WANT LAGOS AND OUR CITIES TO BE?
WE NEED A CLEAR POSITION not the dribble in NEEDS!!!
Oguro, in addition to the people mentioned, I will also recommend Jeremy and Bibi's excellent essay on Ojuelegba. They gave a wonderful performance in Texas a few years ago and the essay can be found in Urban Africa by Toyin Falola and steve Slam. Perhaps, Jeremy you can provide a PDF copy of the article for people who may not have access to the book. It is a welcome addition to the works on Lagos. And it is interesting that you two used a critique of RK as a launching pad for your own arguement. It is an excellent piece by the way.
... Ah! know the book .. but must have missed the piece ... 'twas a series of essays from lectures at Texas A&M? .... Ah! dear old Ojuelegba .. immortalised by our favourite 'beokuta son ... never had a beer there ...
Now that's interesting ..Oshodi and Ojuelegba ... crossroads .. intersections ... colonised SLOAP ... the appropriation of imposed infrastructure .. ..
now we could learn from these places ... any urbanists out there???
His view on Lagos is too romantic! The city is barely functioning, educated Lagosians are sick of the fact that the city has fallen apart. I just got back from Lagos and the only area that functions at a normal level is the Ikoyi area, near Alausa as one ought to expect. He needs to spend a day in Isale Eko and live as as a Lagosian without any of fancy get up and he'll see terrible it is just trying to get from point A to point B. The city is a mess and I am true born Lagosian, I'll say it with no regret.
Argh!
Can't get the link. What is the "rts" protocol? My browser is baffled.
I will appreciate an alternative link (if any).
Thanks.
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