British designer Thomas Heatherwick has unveiled a spectacular 295-foot-long, four-story-high installation called the "Humanise Wall" as the centerpiece of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. The massive twisted steel structure, revealed during the biennale's opening ceremony, stands prominently in Songhyeon Green Plaza park in central Seoul, where Heatherwick serves as general director of the event.
The giant steel installation was specifically designed by Heatherwick Studio to capture public attention and raise awareness about the architectural festival taking place throughout the city. The wall is covered with a carefully curated combination of images showcasing buildings that demonstrate the ideals of Heatherwick's "Humanise" campaign, along with specially commissioned pieces created for the event.
"The challenge of many city-wide creativity festivals is that actually, when you speak to a normal citizen and ask them whether they know that there is a city-wide festival of design happening, most people, other than the people in the bubble, won't even know it's going on," Heatherwick explained in an interview. "So in a busy city, how do you actually let citizens really know? You grab people's attention."
The innovative design functions as both an oversized billboard and an interactive space intended to spark conversations with Seoul residents. Heatherwick conceived the wall as an invitation for deeper engagement, allowing those interested to read the displayed text or continue exploring other exhibits located at the nearby Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture.
"The Humanize Wall, in a sense, is the introduction panel to give permission for everyone to come together," Heatherwick explained. "It's almost like a magazine, but 16-meters high, and it becomes a pavilion in the middle by being twisted through 180 degrees that frames a sort of performance space, or sun shelter, or rain shelter."
The construction of this architectural marvel involved a sophisticated steel framework clad with 1,428 individual steel tiles. The installation features text and images designed to create a "call and response" experience, drawing directly from the philosophical concepts behind the Humanise campaign.
The wall's dual-sided design tells a comprehensive story about contemporary architecture. The side facing the park presents Heatherwick's assessment of architecture's current state, including an introduction section, a segment addressing what he calls the "blandemic," and images of 400 notable buildings created by 110 architects from around the world. Meanwhile, the side facing the roads focuses on potential solutions and future directions, featuring a section titled "what can we do" and nine creative responses developed by local Seoul artists and designers.
Speaking about the broader significance of the biennale, Heatherwick described the event as "a very sincere attempt to invite a bigger conversation" about the future of urban design and architecture. The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism runs from September 26 through November 18, 2025, offering visitors an extensive program of exhibitions, discussions, and installations throughout South Korea's capital city.
