Koolhaas HouseLife is an exceptional experience of a full immersion in the daily life of one of the masterpieces of contemporary architecture of recent years: The House in Bordeaux, designed in 1998 by Rem Koolhaas / OMA. Unlike most movies about architecture, this feature focuses less on explaining the building, its structure and its virtuosity than on letting the viewer enter into the invisible bubble of the daily intimacy of an architectural icon.

Like any house, the House in Bordeaux is a place of plurality with all its chaos, its wear and tear, and its changes. The work of Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoîne offers us a portrait of the real and changing vitality of one of those monuments that we believe are immortal. This is realized through the stories and daily chores of Guadalupe Acedo, the home’s caretaker and housekeeper, and the other people who look after the building. Following and interacting with Guadalupe, blooms an unusual and unpredictable look at the spaces and structure of the building.

A real experiment that presents a new way of looking at architecture and broadens the field of its representation.

Film directed by Ila Bêka et Louise Lemoîne
Shooting format: HDV
Duration: 58 minutes
Original version: French
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese, Japanese

House Facts:

• Commission 1994. Completed 1998
• Location: Bordeaux, France
• Site: 5km from Bordeaux centre on a cape-like hill. 180º view on the city and the river.
• Program: 500m2: 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (main house); 100m2: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (guard/guesthouse)

Collaborators:

• Architect: OMA/Rem Koolhaas
• Structure: Arup London, Cecil Balmond
• Hyrdraulics: Gerard Couillandeau
• Fitted furnishing and mobile platform: Maarten van Severen, Raf de Preter
   

(Source: Koolhass HouseLife)

Official trailers of the film "Koolhaas HouseLife":