engineering.
Humanise Wall is a temporary public installation conceived as the centrepiece of the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, transforming Songhyeon Green Plaza into a place of encounter, reflection and debate about how cities make us feel.
A monumental temporary wall using expressive structure and facade to argue for more human cities.
Designed by Heatherwick Studio under the biennale theme *Radically More Human*, the project rejects the neutrality and repetition of much contemporary urban fabric. Instead, it proposes a 90 metre-long, four-storey-high structure that twists, opens and thickens, drawing visitors through and around it. The wall operates simultaneously as manifesto, gateway and exhibition, framing views of the park and city while inviting people to slow down and engage at close range.
AKT II led the structural and facade engineering, working from the outset to translate an ambitious sculptural idea into a robust, buildable installation. The primary structure is a bespoke steel framework developed to accommodate significant height and length while enabling the wall’s expressive curvature and central twist. Our team carefully balanced global stability, local stiffness and construction sequencing, ensuring the structure could be erected efficiently within the constraints of a temporary public installation and a prominent urban site.
The facade is integral to both the architectural intent and the structural logic. We designed a modular cladding system composed of 1,428 individually manufactured steel tiles, each contributing to the wall’s tactile and visual depth. The tiles are supported by secondary steelwork coordinated tightly with the primary frame, allowing the surface to undulate without visual compromise. This approach enabled precise alignment of structure and narrative content, while maintaining durability and safety for intense public interaction.
Beyond performance, the facade becomes a communicative surface. Images and text from 400 exemplar buildings by 110 architects across 38 countries are embedded into the steel skin, turning the wall into a readable, human-scale archive. One side critiques monotonous urban facades, while the other proposes emotionally resonant alternatives.
Through close collaboration with Heatherwick Studio, our structural and facade design underpins the Humanise Wall’s role as both an engineering achievement and a cultural device – a piece of city-making that demonstrates how expressive structure and carefully crafted facades can actively shape human experience.
