Heatherwick presents the Humanise Wall as the focal point of the Seoul Architecture Biennale, a 90-meter steel structure designed to spiral and open in ways that invite movement and reflection. The piece incorporates imagery from 400 buildings and community projects across 38 countries, turning the wall into both a physical barrier and a narrative surface about human connection in design.

The biennale, staged under the theme “Radically More Human,” positions the Humanise Wall as a statement against uniformity in modern architecture. Alongside it, 24 vertical panels titled “Walls of Public Life” showcase contributions from international designers exploring how façades shape urban identity. By emphasizing emotion, texture, and scale, Heatherwick challenges minimalism’s dominance and argues for a more generous approach to building design. The work becomes both a manifesto and a landmark, urging architects to consider how cities feel as much as how they function.

Image Credit: Yongjoon Choi