Thomas Heatherwick to Lead Seoul Biennale Opening on the 26th... Realizing "Urban Architecture for People"

Image of the Humanise Wall main exhibition at the Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale. Seoul City

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The 5th Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale (Seoul Biennale), with world-renowned British designer Thomas Heatherwick as the general director, will open on September 26 after more than two years of preparation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on September 22 that the Seoul Biennale, themed "Charming Cities, Architecture for People," will be held from September 26 to November 18 at Open Songhyeon Green Plaza, the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture, and other venues. The event is free and open to the public.

The Seoul Biennale is the first global event in Korea dedicated to urban architecture, aiming to foster architectural culture exchange. Since its inaugural edition in 2017, it has attracted approximately 5.38 million visitors, including online participants. This year, the main focus is to explore how urban environments can become more attractive through the exteriors of everyday buildings, going beyond mere aesthetic perspectives.

The opening ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. on September 26 at Open Songhyeon Green Plaza, with Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon, domestic and international architects, diplomats stationed in Korea, and citizens expected to attend.

On September 27 and 28, the "Global Opening Forum: Emotional Cities" will be held at the Seoul City Hall Multipurpose Hall. Experts will discuss the question, "How are cities made?" focusing on how building exteriors impact human health, behavior, and society, and will explore strategies for creating future urban architecture that is beloved and enduring.

During the Seoul Biennale, various exhibitions and forums will take place throughout the city center. In particular, Open Songhyeon Green Plaza will feature four main exhibitions based on the theme "Charming Cities, Architecture for People": the Theme Exhibition, the Cities Exhibition, the Seoul Exhibition, and the Global Studio.

The Theme Exhibition, titled "More Human Urban Architecture," will showcase a large eco-friendly installation and 24 outdoor sculptures. Nine creative community teams will participate in the Humanise Wall and Walls of Public Life exhibits.

The Humanise Wall is a large-scale eco-friendly installation measuring 90 meters in width and 16 meters in height. It is composed of 1,428 steel panels featuring over 400 images of buildings contributed by 110 designers from 38 countries, along with ideas from nine creative community teams. The installation delivers a message of bringing together diverse thoughts and ideas to create "people-centered urban architecture."

The Walls of Public Life is an artwork where 24 teams of architects, designers, and artisans have each created a wall-shaped installation (2.4 meters by 4.8 meters). Visitors can freely walk between the walls and experience a variety of emotions-such as joy, warmth, and curiosity-evoked by building exteriors.

The "Cities Exhibition: The Face of the City-People Need Human-Centered Architecture" introduces 25 architectural projects from 21 cities in 15 countries, presenting the exteriors of buildings as the unique faces of their respective cities.

The "Seoul Exhibition: Unfolding Seoul" intuitively showcases the city's transformation across the past, present, and future, focusing on major architectural landmarks from a citizen's perspective. The exhibition features a panoramic display of 18 buildings and urban landscapes that Seoul will encounter in the near future, allowing visitors to experience Seoul from a human point of view, overcoming the limitations of conventional bird’s-eye views.

The "Global Studio: Your Emotional City, Seoul" presents a collective artwork composed of photographs shared by citizens worldwide on the Seoul Biennale website.

This year’s Seoul Biennale will also offer a variety of citizen participation programs, including workshops and lectures led by General Director Heatherwick, as well as talks by international artists.

General Director Heatherwick stated, "Our current challenge is to place architecture at the center of society in ways that no one has seen for generations," adding, "Seoul is now realizing this challenge in a bold and brilliant way that no one could have imagined."

Lim Changsoo, Director of Future Space Planning at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, commented, "The Seoul Biennale is a festival that makes Seoul a more attractive and livable place through the eyes and participation of its citizens. We look forward to sharing time together, walking and observing, as we envision the future of the city."

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