Ten teams of creators and communities have been chosen to bring the voice of citizens to this year’s Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism.
A rich mix of architects, metalworkers, community organisers, urban planners, sculptors and textile designers has been chosen from a total of 83 proposals submitted by 148 creators and 1,214 community members.
Over the next four months, these artists and activists will run projects that respond to two set questions: How do the buildings in your city make you feel, and how can we make them more joyful and engaging?
The 5th edition of the Seoul Biennale runs during September and October 2025 and will explore how to make the city radically more human. This theme will be brought alive through a dramatic new public installation and a programme of creative activity in Songhyeon Green Plaza, alongside a two-day global conference and a series of public exhibitions, inviting Seoulites to engage in a city-wide conversation about how the outsides of buildings affect their lives.
Thomas Heatherwick, General Director of the 2025 Biennale, said:
“What you will see in this Biennale is the real voice of Seoulites. We have picked an extraordinary group of creators and communities with powerful ideas that will challenge the way you understand how buildings change our lives”.
“They are all passionate about connecting everyday architecture with the big social issues that confront us in cities today – loneliness, togetherness, division and belonging – and coming up with real world solutions expressed through the outsides of buildings.”
A Tapestry Woven by Citizens and Designers
The final selection of 10 creators is drawn from a rich spectrum of artistic disciplines and collaborative approaches from across Korean society. The work they produce with each community will be incorporated into a public installation approximately 90 metres long by 16 metres high unveiled at the start of the Biennale.
The installation takes inspiration from Jogakbo tapestry, stitching together the experiences and ideas of citizens and designers from Seoul and around the world. The first concept sketch of the installation is revealed today, and the selected projects are:
Story Map – a project led by community designer and artist Joon Won Suh, using text, photos and drawings to create a map-based storytelling experience that links space, time and memory.
If You Love Seoul, You Can Wear It! – a project led by archi-inventor and influencer, Jiyong Jeon, capturing the transformative spirit of Seongsu-dong through wearable design.
Soft Edges – facilitated by architects Bryan Honting Wong and Namhi Kwun, using community workshops and deployable furniture to involve local farmers and newly arrived families in a conversation about apartment complex buildings.
A World of Common Things – a project led by architect Melody Song and writer Maya West that fosters collective creativity and dialogue, inspired by the philosophy of Hannah Arendt.
Façade of Time (The Culture Alley) – a project led by Roh Jung Yun, with Logic Lab and Layered City, to revitalize a culturally rich alley in Yongsan, repurposing discarded materials into a 3D collage and mural.
Our Hagwon – a project led by Jin Young Song with Team VP that reimagines how the functional facades of high pressure cram schools could be transformed into culturally integrated and relatable spaces.
The Walking Drawing – a collaboration between SeoulShare, an international walking group, and Frame, a student group from Hongik University, involving diverse communities in a project to create a reflective visual narrative that captures the emotional pulse of the streets of Seoul.
A Complex for Diverse Minds – a project led by sculptor Hae-Young Seo seeking to address social and political divides through artwork, video and photography, using building design to foster dialogue and interaction.
Façade-ish Door – a project devised by builder Yewon Lee with architect Hyeok Young Lee to demonstrate the creative potential of metal craftsmen in Euljiro to turn industrial byproducts into expressive urban facades.
Jeongneung Naduri – a performative art and architecture project led by Hae-Won Shin to champion community-driven placemaking and revive Seoul’s urban memory.
Future Urban Spaces Planning Bureau Director General, Lim Chang Su, remarked:
“We are very grateful for the enthusiastic participation of all these creators and citizen communities. The most significant feature of the 5th Seoul Biennale is the direct participation of citizens. We look forward to seeing how their perspectives will be realized through collaboration and communication with the creators.”