[1]
One of the best sources I found on Rem Koolhaas, principal architect of the Seattle Central Library, was the website Great Buildings Online. [2] Here are three things I learned about Koolhaas:
1. Koolhaas is a noted member of the Deconstructivist school. Deconstructivism focuses on fragmentation and manipulation of a building's surface to distort elements of architecture, resulting in "controlled chaos". Other examples of Deconstructivist-style architecture include the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
2. Koolhaas won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2000. The award is commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture! Interestingly, the Latin inscription on the back of the medallion- firmness, commodity, delight - are the three qualities that the Roman architect Vitruvius said all structures must exhibit!
3. Koolhaas is Dutch and graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London. The school is one of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world, as well as one of the oldest in the UK.
Sources:
[1] Stott, Rory. "A Day at Stanford With Rem Koolhaas." ArchDaily. N.p., 02 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
[2] "Rem Koolhaas." Great Buildings Online. N.p., 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.