World-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas has given the closing keynote at this year's World Architecture Festival on November 30, 2018 at RAI Amsterdam. This year's theme was set as "Identity" and welcomed well-known speakers from around the world to explore different notions of Identity on a global scale. 

Presentations and talks on the event’s main stage and the festival hall stage in Amsterdam did analyse not only how architecture can express personal, community, civic and national identity, but also how buildings and places increasingly need to contend with issues around ethnic or gender identity.

Koolhaas was on the stage after a stellar line-up at the three-day event, which was held from 28 -30 November at RAI Amsterdam. In one-hour discussion, Koolhaas was in conversation with Jeremy Melvin, Curator of World Architecture Festival. 

For those who missed the architect's lecture at WAF, now you can watch the full lecture of Rem Koolhaas below:

The architect briefly talked about today's digital age, publications, politics and his recent projects in countryside. Koolhaas said that "the words politician and bureaucrat have become ‘almost negative’ words." 

"This contempt is creating a dangerous situation because only politicians can describe and generate the framework in which our world unfolds."

"I am a very curious person and for that reason there are many people who’s knowledge I want to benefit from, therefore I have a constant inclination to ask questions."

Regarding publications, books and digital age, Koolhaas stated that "a book is a limited quantity of knowledge presented in a specific form. It’s orchestrated and edited and in that sense it’s the opposite of the infinity of the internet," he continued.

Regarding Rem Koolhaas' attending to this year's event, Paul Finch, Programme Director of World Architecture Festival, said that "we’re delighted that Rem Koolhaas has joined our already stellar list of speakers for this year’s event. 

"This is the first time we’ll be holding WAF in the Dutch capital, and just as the Dutch masters presided over a golden age of artistic endeavour and expression in the 17th century, Rem and his contemporaries have spearheaded architectural innovation that has been exported and embraced around the world."

World Architecture Community is an official Media Partner for the event and brought to you the hottest topics, key discussions and keynote sessions from the three-day event.

Top image: Rem Koolhaas. Image © Fabrizio Albertini