"Hope has returned": The glorious reception of OMA/Rem Koolhaas in the Dutch-speaking world

Important texts about the work of OMA (and by Rem Koolhaas himself) have been written in English. In this article, the reception in the Dutch-speaking world is examined, from 1978 until 1990. As the writings of critics such as Geert Bekaert, Hans van Dijk, and Bart Lootsma show, the work of OMA-and, in particular, the designs for the Dutch Parliament (1978), the Netherlands Architecture Institute (1988), and the Sea Trade Center (1989)-was trumpeted because it expressed a polemical viewpoint towards commonplace convictions on historical cities, architecture culture, and the future of European society. In his home country, Koolhaas' return-bringing everything he learned from Manhattan-was heralded as a liberation and as a new hopeful chance for architecture. © 2014 Taylor and Francis.