The Biennale promises to be a dynamic platform uniting over 750 participants from diverse backgrounds, including architects, engineers, mathematicians, climate scientists, and artists. Such a broad coalition of over 280 projects underlines the Exhibition's focus on inclusivity and interdisciplinary collaboration, an essential aspect for adaptation. The selection process proposed a bottom-up, open call approach through the Space for Ideas initiative, which ran between May and June 2024. It encouraged participation from global teams, from Pritzker Prize winners and Nobel laureates to emerging architects and scientists.
Thomas Heatherwick has been appointed as the General Director and curator of the 2025 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. In its fifth edition, the Seoul Biennale serves as a platform for addressing urban challenges faced by major global cities, fostering innovative solutions and public discussions around architecture and urbanism. As Asia's largest architecture biennale, scheduled to take place from September 1 to October 31, 2025, the exhibition will focus on making cities more joyful, engaging, and radically human-centered. At the heart of this mission is an ambitious public engagement program that directly involves citizens in shaping the Biennale. Through an open call, ten multidisciplinary teams, comprising architects, urban planners, sculptors, community organizers, metalworkers, and textile designers, have been selected to collaborate with local communities. These projects will respond to two central questions: How do buildings make people feel? And how can they be transformed to foster a deeper sense of connection?
Heatherwick Studio has been selected to lead the redesign of the Coex Convention Centre in Seoul, following a competition aimed at reimagining the building's purpose and facade. In collaboration with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the studio's proposal seeks to transform the convention centre into a more open and inviting public space that reflects Seoul's evolving identity.
The United Kingdom Government has announced the shortlisted design teams for the national memorial dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, following the first stage of a two-stage open competition that attracted creative talent from the UK and beyond. The five teams moving forward in the competition are Foster + Partners with Yinka Shonibare and Michel Desvigne Paysagiste; Heatherwick Studio with Halima Cassell, MRG Studio,Webb Yates, and Arup; J&L Gibbons with Michael Levine RDI, William Matthews Associates, Structure Workshop, and Arup; Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects, Adam Lowe (Factum Arte), and Structure Workshop; and WilkinsonEyre with Lisa Vandy, Fiona Clark, Andy Sturgeon Design, Atelier One, and Hilson Moran.
Heatherwick Studio has unveiled an ambitious vision to transform the Belvedere, a historic elevated riverfront space in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, into a reimagined public park in the United States. The project aims to breathe new life into the site, enhancing its connection to the Ohio River and creating a welcoming environment for both residents and visitors.
Shanghai, as one of China's most representative global cities, features an architectural vocabulary that seamlessly blends its distinctive "Haipai" (Shanghai style) urban character with an international perspective. The city boasts a rich spatial hierarchy, ranging from the micro-level of alleyways and neighborhoods to the macro-scale of urban planning. From the Suzhou Creek to the Huangpu River, every architectural landmark embodies Shanghai's unique history, culture, and vision for the future.
However, despite their enclosed design appearing to be an obstacle for new uses, recent decades have seen initiatives that embrace and repurpose these structures. These projects integrate silos into the urban environment, emphasizing their significance as part of the local collective memory.
In October 2024, "The Vessel" at Hudson Yards in New York City reopened to the public after being closed for nearly three years due to multiple suicides. Originally designed by Heatherwick Studio and opened in 2019, the 150-foot monumental staircase was closed in January 2021 after four individuals, all under the age of 25, tragically took their own lives within an 18-month span. This photo series by Paul Clemence captures "The Vessel" as it reopens, offering a fresh look at its design and renewed role in the city.
Heatherwick Studio has just announced its design for transforming Seoul’s renowned Hanwha Galleria. Following a competition aimed at reimagining six sites across the South Korean capital, Heatherwick Studio seeks to highlight South Korea’s rising status as a global cultural hub. Featuring two twin hourglass-shaped structures, the proposed design challenge traditionally designed luxury department stores worldwide.
Heatherwick Studio has unveiled the design of a new large-scale glass canopy to become one of the main attractions of Olympia, an ambitious regeneration project aimed at transforming the 138-year-old exhibition halls in London into a global culture and entertainment destination. Originally designed by Sir Henry Edward Coe, Olympia is set to offer visitors a wide range of venues and activities, including two hotels, over 30 restaurants, bars and eateries, a 4,400-capacity live music hall, a theater, and spaces for the Wetherby Performing Arts School, in addition to over 2.5 acres of accessible public spaces. The revival project is co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC.
Heatherwick Studio has just won the global competition to transform Seoul’s uninhabited Nodeul Island on the Han River into a lively public park. Titled “Soundscape,” the winning project “creates a trail of dramatic spaces on different levels that can host musical performances and artistic interventions.” Situated within a green and biodiverse landscape, the design echoes Seoul's mountainous terrain and the patterns of sound waves.
This year's Milan Design Week brought together designers, architects, producers, and key figures from the design world. The events were divided between the Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera, a trade fair with over 1950 exhibitors, and Fourisalone, featuring various events across Milan. With numerous installations throughout the city and a wide range of events, conferences, and debates, Milan Design Week stands as one of the most significant design-focused events worldwide. For architects, this represents an opportunity to not only exchange ideas but also to actively contribute through collaborations and explorations across disciplines.
This year, many internationally recognized architects have entered collaborations with furniture and light design companies, exploring the intersection of design and architecture. Despite the change in scale, many of these products reflect the recognizable architectural language of their designers, offering an insight into the principles that guide their practice. In addition to aesthetic explorations, many of the products selected are tackling important themes of interest, from the need to develop more sustainable materials with a reduced carbon footprint, to the potential impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Heatherwick Studio has just been selected to design a new educational facility for a university in Bogotá, Colombia. Marking Heatherwick’s Studio’s debut in South America, the construction is set to begin in 2025. Located on the existing campus in central Bogotá, the new design school and makers’ space for Universidad EAN will become a home for the university’s school of sustainable design. The seven-story structure features a striking façade adorned with colorful artistic columns and open terraces.
Pelli Clarke & Partners has just completed the Mori JP Tower, now standing as Japan’s tallest building. Situated in the recently revitalized Azabudai Hills district, the tower emerges at the center of this development. Establishing a new focal point for Tokyo’s skyline, the building soars 330 meters at the heart of this dynamic new mixed-use district in the city center.
On February 21st, 2024, American Hotelier MCR Hotels acquired the renowned BT Tower in London. The tower, a Grade II listed marvel, is nestled within London’s Fitzrovia, standing as a testament to the city’s heritage. Initially used as the British Telecommunications Tower and was known as the Post Office Tower, the BT Tower will be repurposed by Heatherwick Studio, with plans underway to breathe new life into this iconic structure.
Courtesy of New Murabba Development Company | Riyadh
Saudi Arabia, a country going through a tremendous transition, is not only changing its skyline but also redefining its identity on a global level. As part of their 2030 Vision serving as the compass, the kingdom is moving toward new developments, aiming to revive culture and diversify the economy. In fact, the capital, Riyadh, is leading the transformation by hosting the 2030 World Expo. Representing the country’s dedication to advancement, several mega projects are taking place and transforming the kingdom's fabric.
Amidst the various projects, many world-renowned firms are working on these mega projects at many different scales. For example, the cultural renaissance is shown through Snøhetta’s Opera House in Diriyah, while the Jeddah Tower is on a trajectory that will overtake the Burj Khalifa. In the meantime, Heatherwick Studio’s conversion of a Jeddah desalination plant into a thriving cultural center showcases their repurposing of industrial spaces. From coastal projects by Foster + Partners to city center skyscrapers that are redefining the skyline, the country is undergoing significant transformations in its built environment.
Heatherwick Studio’s exhibition “Building Soulfulness” just opened at the Bund Finance Center in Shanghai. Curated by Mami Kataoka, it will run from January 17th to March 14th, 2024. The display celebrates the studio’s designs, emphasizing their enduring connection with China. The exhibition is taking place at the Fosun Foundation inside the Bund Finance Center, which was designed by Heatherwick Studios and Foster + Partners back in 2017.
Sun Tower / OPEN Architecture. Image Courtesy of OPEN Architecture
As the year 2023 comes to a close, we review the evolution of the field of architecture, but we also look forward to the most anticipated projects planned to open in 2024. As Paris is preparing to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, several projects and infrastructure updates have been planned to support the global event. Another milestone for Paris will be the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, as reconstruction works near completion for the fire-damaged 12th-century monument.
The selection of projects spans various scales and programs, from restoration and expansion works such as OMA's plan for Museo Egizio in Turin, or David CHipperfield's Grand Residential Building in Belgium, to architecture developed with indigenous peoples, such as Snøhetta's Čoarvemátta in Northern Norway, cultural facilities in Asia and Europe and environmentally-conscious buildings such as Studio Gang's Hotel in the United States.
