Rem Koolhaas to Receive 2013 Johannes Vermeer Award

Rem Koolhaas has been announced as this year's recipient of the Dutch state prize for the arts, the Johannes Vermeer Award. The jury made a unanimous decision, citing Koolhaas’ critical contributions to architecture and urbanism since his career began with the publication of Delirious New York in 1975.

The award jury 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.

The Johannes Vermeer Award was established in 2009 to honor artists working in the Netherlands and across all disciplines, ranging from dance to design, from fashion to music, from writing to painting.

The Dutch Minister of Culture, Jet Bussemaker, will present the prize to Koolhaas on Monday, October 21 at the recently re-opened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.