“Art is the highest form of hope,” is what German artist Gerhard Richter said. If that is to be true, then according to Koolhaas’s Junkspace, we are all doomed.
“Architecture disappeared in the twentieth century; we have been reading a footnote under a microscope hoping it would turn into a novel.”
Written by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, Junkspace was published in 2001. He is known for creating turbulence and making bold, unconventional waves in architectural journalism even before his work was built. Thus, unsurprisingly, this essay is a scathing critique on urbanisation, modernisation and contemporary architecture that marked the beginning of the 21st century. The piece of work is equal parts architectural theory and a literary provocation as it not only challenges postulations of designers, architects and urban planners but even society at large.
The Notion of Junkspace
“Junkspace is the residue that mankind leaves on the planet.”
The essay begins with Koolhaas defining what he calls ‘Junkspace,’ essentially as a detritus of modern architecture. Spaces that are banal, cause disorientation, lack the functionality and aesthetics of their predecessors, and are a byproduct of globalisation and capitalism; stripped of their identity.
“Junkspace is what remains after modernization has run its course, or, more precisely, what coagulates while modernization is in progress, its fallout.”
To mirror the concept it critiques, the essay itself is written in a perplexing, seemingly random, stream-of-consciousness style. It embodies the fragmented, shallow condition of architectural discourse it aims to attack.
The Funeral of Space As We Know It
“…conditioned space inevitably becomes conditional space; sooner or later all conditional space turns into Junkspace…”
Koolhaas lays the blame on air-conditioning’s clandestine revolutionising of architecture. He critiques its pervasive role in the homogenisation and monetisation of spaces by uniting all built mass. From airport terminals, car parks, shopping malls, and office buildings, architecture has become standardised, prosaic, and forgettable. It is deprived by being paradoxically overdosed and undernourished at the same time.
Koolhaas continually argues that driven by multinational corporations and the spread of neoliberal policies, the global movement towards homogenization has had a profound impact on architecture. Prioritising convenience and efficiency over engagement with the natural environment have facilitated a landscape of sterile, standardized, commodified, and often soulless spaces. The proliferation of junkspace is therefore an inevitable byproduct of this process which is further fuelled by the growing interconnectedness of the world.
Ironically Embracing Junkspace
“Note to architects: You thought that you could ignore Junkspace…But now your own architecture is infected…”
Koolhaas is an excellent critique of his own profession. He portrays modern architecture as fragmented, sterile, dissatisfying junkspace. However, the irony is apparent when one reflects on his projects. Founded in 1975, his firm OMA has contributed to shaping the understanding of architecture around the world. From the Galleria in Gwanggyo, South Korea to the CCTV headquarters in Beijing, China to the Seattle Central Library, the works are often large-scale and grand, undeniably attention-grabbing, and designed to be iconic. They are in several ways emblematic of the flamboyance he thrashes. This paradox thus questions Koolhaas’s mockery of the very world he actively participates in.
“Junkspace cannot be remembered. It is flamboyant yet unmemorable, like a screen saver; its refusal to freeze ensures instant amnesia.”
Additionally, modern architecture’s obsession with surface-level aesthetics, excessive scale, and corporate agendas becomes even more pointed when considering his own high-profile projects, which often cater to global brands, corporate clients, and the media. In this sense, Koolhaas appears to both criticize and, perhaps, embrace the same forces—creating structures that he knows will inevitably become part of the very junkspace he condemns.
This duality may therefore be a self-aware critique, with Koolhaas acknowledging the contradictions inherent in his role within the global architectural system. Rather than simply rejecting the world of commodified design, he seems to be making a statement about the impossibility of escaping these forces.
His writing also satirises the situation—highlighting the absurdity of the architectural world while participating in its very production. The irony suggests that he is not just condemning the status quo, but reflecting on the complex, sometimes hypocritical nature of architectural practice in a globalized, media-driven age.
Junkspace Prognoses Relevant in 2025
“Will Junkspace invade the body?…Has it already? Through Botox injections? Collagen? Silicone implants?…Is each of us a mini-construction site?…The cosmetic is the new cosmic…”
Towards the end of the essay, Rem poses questions that are relevant now more than, nearly twenty-five years ago, when he first wrote it. He reflects on junkspace’s transition to invading not only the built environment but also our bodies. He poses that the artificial spaces infiltrating our world have gone so far as to also penetrate our perceptive powers and psyche. Not just the spaces we inhabit, but the way we interact with the world and even the way we move, think, and feel that has been shaped by the systems of mass production and consumption.
He concludes with the haunting provocation on the loss of individuality as junkspace spreads not only as an architectural phenomenon but also as an existential one. Junkspace, thus, may be subtly and inadvertently reshaping our very existence in ways we do not fully comprehend.
References:
- Junkspace/Running Room, by REm Koolhaas and Hal Foster. (n.d.). ArtReview. https://artreview.com/book-review-junkspacerunning-room/
- OMA projects. OMA. (n.d.). https://www.oma.com/projects
- Ouroussoff, N. (2012, November 17). Why is Rem Koolhaas the world’s most controversial architect? ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/294302/why-is-rem-koolhaas-the-worlds-most-controversial-architect-by-nicolai-ouroussoff
