Radically More Human

This fall, Seoul once again becomes the stage for global architectural discourse. Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025 will take place from September 26 to November 18, 2025, spanning 54 days and drawing the eyes and footsteps of the world.

Since its launch in 2017, the Seoul Biennale has welcomed nearly 5.38 million visitors (including online audiences) and has established itself as one of the most influential international platforms for exploring cities and architecture—transcending the notion of a conventional exhibition.

This year, world-renowned designer Thomas Heatherwick takes the role of General Director, championing the theme of “Radically More Human”. He will invite people to think about how this city makes you feel, and to spark a big public conversation about how the outsides of buildings affect your brain, your body, your emotions and behavior. 

The Seoul Biennale will be open, accessible and free. Everyone is invited, not just the professionals. It aims to create an event not just for the experts, but a gathering where citizens and visitors alike can ask: “What kind of cities do we all want to live in? And how do we make the buildings more joyful and engaging?”

Opening and global forum
The 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025 officially opens on September 26, followed by the Global Opening Forum “Emotional City” at Seoul City Hall on September 27–28. More than 400 experts from fields including architecture, urbanism, neuroscience, and public projects will gather to discuss how cities can be designed to be more emotional and creative. The forum will feature cutting-edge research, real-world case studies, citizen-led initiatives, and experimental projects—offering fertile ground for new urban discourse.

Thematic exhibition—Humanise 
At the central venue of Songhyeon Green Plaza, the theme of the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism will be vividly brought to live.

"Humanise Wall" (90m long, 16m high): A monumental structure designed by Heatherwick Studio in collaboration with nine creative communities, featuring 400 buildings from 38 different countries by 110 designers that show what interesting, joyful buildings can look like. This installation is a manifesto for making the outsides of buildings radically more human.

"Walls of Public Life": 24 outdoor installations by Korean and international design teams from a vast range of creative and cultural backgrounds. As well as architects and engineers, they include a tailor, a chef, a jeweler, an artist, a fashion designer, a car maker and a manufacturer.  They have each been commissioned to create a fragment of a building, 2.4m by 4.8m, that reimagines how good the outsides of buildings can be.

Additional exhibitions at the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture include:

Cities Exhibition—City’s Face: Human Beings Need Human Buildings, experiencing urban-scale building facades along the “Humanise Street”

Seoul Exhibition—From a Bird’s Eye to the Human Eye, showcasing Seoul’s near-future urban and architectural plans, along with the city’s values and philosophy.

Global Studios—Emotionally Yours, Seoul, an interactive exhibition created in collaboration with AI and visitors.

Creative Communities Project — Most Public, Most Human, showcasing the works of nine international competition winners.

Complementary citizen participation programs will help visitors engage with the themes in approachable ways, offering opportunities to express their own ideas and experience the future of cities firsthand.

Voices from the biennale
“Cities are humanity’s greatest monuments and our collective traces. Today’s urban architecture requires a new approach—one that puts human emotions at the center. Seoul is the perfect place to embrace this challenge, and this Biennale will be a journey toward discovering solutions for a more human city.” —Thomas Heatherwick, General Director

Toward a more human future
Through the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025, the city will present its unique urban vision and future aspirations to the world, expanding the global discourse on sustainable cities and emotionally resonant architecture.

For more information, visit the official website seoulbiennale.org or follow on Instagram @seoulbiennale.