The jury made a unanimous decision, citing Koolhaas’s critical contributions to architecture and urbanism since his career began with the publication of Delirious New York in 1975. The Minister of Culture, Jet Bussemaker, will present the prize to Koolhaas on Monday 21 October at the recently re-opened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The jury of the Johannes Vermeer Award 2013 commended Rem Koolhaas for his impressive body of work as a designer and a thinker, as well as his contribution to the discourse on cities, in particular his innovative practice in areas with rapidly growing populations and economies. The jury also admired Koolhaas’ exceptional energy, which allows him and his office OMA to continuously seek and invent possibilities to shape the built environment.
About the award
The Johannes Vermeer Award was established in 2009, when the award went to opera director Pierre Audi, and has subsequently been awarded to filmmaker, writer and artist Alex van Warmerdam (2010), photographer Erwin Olaf (2011), and artist Marlene Dumas (2012). The award was instituted in 2008 by the then Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ronald Plasterk (PvdA), with the ambition of honouring and encouraging outstanding artistic talent. The award consists of a sum of 100,000 euros, mainly to be used for the realisation of a special project. The award is intended for artists working in the Netherlands and across all disciplines, ranging from dance to design, from fashion to music, from writing to painting.
Photo by Fred Ernst
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.