Description: Almere, the Netherlands' newest town, took a significant step towards maturity with its recently completed city center, designed by Rem Koolhaas, leader of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (O.M.A.), the Netherlands' most internationally oriented architectural practice. Compared to such high-profile O.M.A. achievements as Euralille and Generic City, Koolhaas' scheme for Almere is an interesting departure as it succeeds both in the contexts of old Dutch towns and contemporary metropolitan design. The scheme for the Almere city center shows Koolhaas at work in the context of the old Dutch townscape and the dynamic of the "polder model": it shows how O.M.A absorbed Dutchness -- and still stuck to its principles. In addition to documenting the city center design, this book explores the design process involving the city, the property developers, and the project leaders. Also included are the designs made to flesh out the master plan, amongst them a theater by Kazuyo Sejima, housing by Claus & Kaan and Frits van Dongen, William Alsop's pop/rock center, Benthem Crouwel's business center, O.M.A.'s parking garages and cinema, and the public space design by DS Landschapsarchitecten.

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