Koolhaas, Foster clash over ‘similar’ designs

No plagiarism but we were first, says Rem, as Foster’s deny any real likeness between schemes

Two
of the world’s leading architects, Rem Koolhaas and Norman Foster, have
clashed over claims of a “remarkable similarity” between two of their
most ambitious projects.

In the week that Foster & Partners
confirmed the sale of a stake in the firm to private equity group 3i,
the practice was forced to defend its newly unveiled 6sq km
“zero-carbon, zero-waste” city in Abu Dhabi (News May 11) because of
its resemblance to neighbouring Emirates development Rak Gateway by
Koolhaas’s Office for Metropolitan Architecture.

Koolhaas
revealed his practice had sought an explanation from Foster’s because
of perceived similarities, including scale, shape, sustainable aspects
and the grid system both cities will employ.

Although the Dutch
architect later stressed there was “no suspicion” of plagiarism, he was
keen to point out that his scheme had come first. Foster & Partners
responded by issuing a terse statement denying any real similarity
between the schemes.

Rak Gateway, which has not been widely
publicised, is a 4.5sq km project proposed in Ras Al Khaimah for the
Rak Investment Authority. It will be outlined by Koolhaas at the
International Design Forum in Dubai next week.

“We want to establish that we launched this project in November last year,” Koolhaas told BD.

“It needed a conversation [with Foster & Partners] about how plausible it was that these similarities could happen.”

Fellow
OMA partner Reinier de Graaf said its scheme was the “most radical in
the world” in terms of density and its mix of functions.