Cadavres exquis. Automatic processes in the building extensions of OMA

This article examines the affinities between Rem Koolhaas’s architectural extension strategies and the surrealist concept of the ‘exquisite corpse’. The problem addressed is how these extensions, conceived as ideologically autonomous components, reconfigure the building as a collective palimpsest. The objective is to analyze how these practices align with the principles of ‘Manhattanism’ articulated in Delirious New York and how they resonate with the organic excrescences characteristic of Salvador Dalí’s artistic universe. The methodology employs a critical analysis of Koolhaas’s key projects alongside an interpretation of surrealist methodologies, assessing their conceptual convergence. The findings indicate that these extensions, formally autonomous and seemingly random, not only fulfill functional requirements but also challenge the rationalist foundations of architectural design, establishing an interdisciplinary dialogue between architecture and surrealist art.