This September, the city of Seoul transforms into a site of architectural imagination.

The 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (SBAU) opens under the theme “Radically More Human,” placing human emotion, sensory experience, and social relationships at the center of urban design.

At the helm is Thomas Heatherwick, a renowned British designer and founder of Heatherwick Studio, known for iconic works like London’s Coal Drops Yard and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. His vision challenges the logic-driven city, calling instead for emotionally intelligent urban spaces.

The Biennale unfolds across multiple locations, most notably at Open Songhyeon Green Plaza, the Seoul Exhibition Hall, and various public spaces across the city.

At its heart lies the ‘Humanise Wall’, a monumental 90-meter-long, 16-meter-tall installation co-created with citizens. It will display responses from over 1,000 participants, visualizing the future of the city through intertwined voices. An additional 24 outdoor installations will activate the city as a stage for public engagement and reflection.

From September 27–28, an international opening forum will gather over 400 architects, designers, and artists from around the world. Titled “How Are Cities Made?”, the forum blends lectures, performances, and immersive installations to reframe urbanism as a lived, emotional experience.

In parallel, Seoul City signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the British Embassy in Seoul, marking a new chapter in cultural exchange around architecture and urbanism. The Biennale also coincides with its 10th anniversary, a milestone symbolizing Seoul’s ambition to become a leading platform for global urban cultural dialogue.

Heatherwick affirms that great cities are made by leaders who listen to people’s emotions, not just experts. The 2025 SBAU positions the citizen as co-creator, not bystander—a vision not of buildings, but of meaning.

The 2025 SBAU is not merely an exhibition. It is an open experiment that uses the city itself as its medium—a radical proposition for a more human future.


“Architecture must move people. Because cities aren’t just places we pass through—they’re where we live." – Thomas Heatherwick