Elements of Architecture: Between Pedagogy and Practice

In 2014, Rem Koolhaas directed the fourteenth edition of the International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, under the theme Fundamentals. Parallel to this, Elements of Architecture was published, an encyclopedic book that aims to provide an alternative vision of the history of architecture, based on its elements and focused on diverse approaches to them. The story of how this publication emerged and took shape is fascinating. Moreover, it opens an interesting debate about the tense relationship between pedagogical paradigms and contemporary architectural praxis. Within the extensive team responsible for the publication and exhibition, a confluence of academic and professional voices emerges, often marked by discordant perspectives. Rem Koolhaas himself has always maintained an unstable balance between these two aspects. This article embarks on an examination of the intricate processes undertaken during the genesis of Elements of Architecture, meticulously scrutinizing the contributions emanating from both academic and professional spheres. To document the text, a series of interviews were conducted with the key players involved in its publication, seeking contrasting perspectives that, as we will see, complement each other, as the book has become a reference in contemporary architectural literature.