The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025 has revealed the names of 24 distinguished designers who will create the ambitious "Walls of Public Life" installation, a groundbreaking collective project that challenges conventional architectural thinking. Under the curatorial direction of General Director Thomas Heatherwick, this innovative installation explores how building exteriors can transcend their traditional role as passive backdrops to become vibrant, expressive, and emotionally engaging elements of urban life.
Each participating designer will construct a substantial 2.4 by 4.8-meter building fragment that reimagines the architectural wall as an active participant in public discourse. These installations will be strategically positioned along the north side of Songhyeon Green Plaza in central Seoul, forming part of a larger urban intervention that includes the monumental Humanise Wall—a four-story, 90-meter-long installation situated to the south of the park. Together, these elements will create a comprehensive architectural dialogue that spans the entire plaza.
The project represents a radical departure from the neutral, flat surfaces that dominate contemporary urban skylines. Heatherwick's curatorial vision frames these walls as architectural provocations, each offering unique possibilities for reimagining how cities might look, feel, and function in the future. The installation challenges both the public and the architecture industry to reconsider fundamental assumptions about urban design and the emotional impact of built environments.
Reflecting the Biennale's commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, the contributor list extends far beyond traditional architecture to encompass artists, artisans, designers, engineers, and even culinary professionals. Renowned architectural firms participating include Kengo Kuma & Associates, MAD Architects, HawkinsBrown, Anupama Kundoo Architects, Amateur Architecture Studio (led by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu), Kéré Architecture, NAMELESS Architecture, YOAP Architects, Moreless Architects, Anomalia, SOSU Architects, Bureau de Change, Arup, and a.co.lab.
The project also features notable contributors working outside conventional architectural practice, demonstrating the Biennale's embrace of diverse creative perspectives. These include the Korean Furniture Museum, celebrated jeweller Stephen Webster, renowned tailor Ozwald Boateng, internationally acclaimed artist Yinka Shonibare, and innovative chef Edward Lee. This eclectic mix reflects the exhibition's belief that meaningful urban transformation requires input from multiple disciplines and cultural perspectives.
Several participating entities bring specialized expertise in materials and manufacturing, including major industrial players such as Hankuk Carbon and Hyundai Motor Company. Their involvement underscores the project's commitment to exploring cutting-edge materials and production techniques that could revolutionize how we construct and experience urban spaces. Cultural and community-based approaches are represented by Burkinabè artisans Bapossan Alempoua and Asseta Idogo, who will revive the painted wall traditions of Tiébélé, bridging West African heritage with contemporary Korean urban contexts.
Each wall installation will employ different strategies to provoke emotional responses through carefully considered materials, textures, colors, and narrative elements. Some contributors will reinterpret vernacular craft traditions, while others will experiment with ornament or structural form to create unexpected visual and tactile experiences. NAMELESS Architecture plans to reassemble broken bricks and stones, creating a powerful commentary on urban renewal and architectural memory. Stephen Webster's design promises a striking tactile surface that combines thorns and jewels, exploring themes of beauty and danger in urban environments.
Francis Kéré's contribution will utilize Korean pine to construct a communal structure that invites public interaction and gathering. Another installation will create a fascinating cultural bridge between local Korean heritage and the traditional building practices of Tiébélé in West Africa, interpreted through the medium of Korean clay. This cross-cultural dialogue exemplifies the Biennale's mission to foster global architectural understanding while celebrating local traditions.
The 2025 Seoul Biennale will run from September 26 to November 18, 2025, spanning multiple venues throughout the city, with primary installations at Songhyeon Green Plaza and the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture. The event will feature four carefully curated exhibitions, an extensive program of public engagement events, and a major two-day international forum titled "Emotional City." This forum will gather 400 participants from around the world to investigate how cities affect people and their social interactions, and how design can better respond to these crucial emotional dimensions of urban life.
Heatherwick's role as General Director of the 2025 Seoul Biennale aligns perfectly with his broader mission to create more emotionally engaging and human-focused architecture. His involvement in the Biennale coincides with several major Heatherwick Studio projects advancing throughout Asia. In Seoul, the studio has been appointed as design partner for the ambitious redevelopment of the Yeouido Daegyo Apartments, marking their first residential project in South Korea. Additionally, Heatherwick Studio was recently selected to lead the comprehensive redesign of the Coex Convention Centre, reimagining one of Seoul's most significant civic landmarks for the 21st century.
Meanwhile, in Bangkok, Thailand, Heatherwick Studio has unveiled Hatai, an innovative mixed-use development that represents their inaugural project in the Southeast Asian nation. These concurrent projects demonstrate the studio's growing influence in Asian architecture and urban design, while the Seoul Biennale provides a platform to showcase experimental approaches that could influence future development across the region and beyond.
