SEOUL—Architect Thomas Heatherwick, General Director of the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (SBAU) 2025, delivered a compelling keynote address at the opening forum on September 28, challenging the notion that "soulful, human-centric architecture" is inherently too costly. The forum, themed “Emotional City,” highlighted the critical importance of creating buildings that prioritize citizens and society over mere financial clients.
Heatherwick, a globally renowned figure in architecture and design, centered his speech around the theme 'How to be a Good Ancestor,' urging builders to move beyond the rapid construction-demolition cycle exemplified by the 28-year average lifespan of housing in South Korea. He argued that the financial and environmental costs of constantly tearing down and rebuilding—a process he noted causes tremendous carbon emissions—far outweigh the perceived higher initial expense of constructing enduring, well-designed structures.
“It’s a preconception and prejudice to think that building human-centric buildings with soul is too expensive,” Heatherwick stated. He underscored the historical capacity of humanity to create soulful buildings even centuries ago with far fewer resources, asking, “We are wealthier than ever, so why can’t we create buildings with soul?” His vision is to create buildings that future generations will love, maintain, and adapt, rather than demolish.
Prioritizing the Citizen as the 'Second Client'
A key point of the address was the need to regard citizens and society as the "second customer" in architecture, alongside the paying client. Heatherwick advocated for allocating at least 50% of creative attention to this second group. He called for "serving the citizens" by designing buildings that are generous, visually complex, and rich in detail—qualities he believes people, even young children, instinctively appreciate. He cited the repurposing of the former Dutch immigrant warehouse into the Museum of Architecture, Design and the City (MAD) as an example of a soulful structure that all passersby can enjoy.
The forum also included an expert debate on the challenge of urban redevelopment, with architect Kim Jeong-im suggesting practical incentives to encourage preservation and renovation over wholesale demolition, such as offering floor area ratio (FAR) relaxations for building additions and raising the disposal cost of concrete waste.
Public Demand for 'Radically More Human' Buildings
A public attitude survey presented at the forum strongly supported the need for architectural change. The research, which polled 1,000 Seoul citizens, revealed that 90% believe the exterior appearance of a building affects their emotions. Crucially, 97% found the typical Korean apartment complexes to be boring and monotonous, with 61% believing it would be better to simply tear them down. Nearly half of respondents (48%) expressed a strong willingness to solve Seoul’s architectural issues, underscoring that the public is not "oblivious" but rather deeply invested in the quality of their built environment.
The 5th SBAU, running from September 26 to November 18, 2025, is focused on the theme 'Radically More Human' and aims to spark a global conversation on creating joyful, engaging cities. The main exhibition features installations like the 'Humanise Wall'—a 90-meter-long, 16-meter-high eco-friendly structure—and the 'Walls of Public Life,' which bring together global designers to reimagine building façades that emotionally connect with the public. The Biennale is positioned as a critical platform for exchanging ideas and finding solutions for a more human-centered urban culture.
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