Abstract The task of modern architecture is to turn a multifunctional building into an actual communicative space. An example of an effective solution to this problem is given by the work of the outstanding architect Rem Koolhaas. The purpose of this work is to analyze the author’s implemented projects in countries as diverse in cultural traditions and mental preferences as China and Russia. The article notes the universality of stylistic techniques in the objects under consideration for various functional purposes. The winner of the most prestigious international prizes in the field of architecture, in particular, the Pritzker Prize (2000, an analogue of the Nobel Prize), and the winner of international competitions in the UK, Japan, Italy, R. Koolhaas emphasized the special role in the formation of his own handwriting of such Russian masters-innovators. who made a breakthrough in architecture, like El Lisitsky, K.S. Melnikov, M.Ya. Ginzburg. Continuing the tradition of the avant-garde Russian school, the theorist and practitioner sees the priority tasks of architecture in creating a new communicative environment comfortable for society while preserving the historical and cultural landscape. The work emphasizes the importance of R. Koolhaas as an innovator and a supporter of the continuity of traditions.