The exhibition at Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture runs through late February next year, featuring more than 110 models and displays of 10 building materials, hands-on seating experiences and guided docent programs throughout the run.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon listens to Bjarke Ingels explain the exhibition works and architectural designs at Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture on Thursday afternoon. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon listens to Bjarke Ingels explain the exhibition works and architectural designs at Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture on Thursday afternoon. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Seoul will host the first Korean exhibition by global architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), titled "MATERIALISM," at Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture next to Deoksugung Palace from Saturday through Feb. 28, 2027, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday.

BIG is a Copenhagen-based architecture firm founded by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, widely recognized for its inventive designs. Among its best-known projects are Amager Bakke, a waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen whose rooftop doubles as a ski slope and park, and Via 57 West, a pyramid-shaped residential complex in Manhattan, New York.

Seoul has maintained ties with Denmark through cultural exchanges in urban planning and architecture, including a letter of intent signed with the Danish Embassy in Korea in 2022 for cooperation at the Seoul Biennale. The city said it hopes the exhibition will give architects from both countries a chance to share experiences and ideas, and serve as a springboard for expanding collaboration, including opportunities for Korean architects to participate in projects abroad.

The exhibition aims to show how BIG's creative ideas move from material studies and scale models into realized spaces, offering visitors a fresh perspective on cities and architecture through the firm's major works.

The show is organized around 10 materials — stone, earth, concrete, metal, glass, wood, fabric, plastic, plants and recycled materials — tracing BIG's key projects and working methods. In the Bium Hall on the third below-ground floor, display stands and chairs made from each of the 10 materials will be installed, letting visitors examine colors and textures up close and sit in chairs crafted from the actual materials. The stands will also display more than 50 architectural models alongside photographs and drawings, illustrating how materials are chosen and ideas develop into built structures.

Gallery 2, also on the third below-ground floor, will present more than 60 study models BIG produced while developing its architectural ideas. Visitors can follow the progression from initial concept to sketch to model and then to a finished building as materials and structure are refined, tracing the firm's design process from start to finish.

The exhibition moves from hands-on material experiences through BIG's working process and scale models, concluding with a video presentation, making it accessible to visitors with no prior background in architecture.

Ahead of the opening, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon toured the exhibition Thursday with BIG founder Bjarke Ingels, who guided him through the works. A docent program will run throughout the exhibition, with professional guides explaining the relationships between materials, models and completed buildings in accessible terms.

Visitor information and program registration details are available on the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture website and on Instagram (@seoulhour).

"This exhibition is a chance to explore the major works of BIG — one of the most talked-about firms in the world today — and to experience firsthand the materials and ideas that shaped them," said Ahn Dae-hee, Seoul's director of future space planning. "We hope that even visitors who are not familiar with architecture will feel welcome to come, touch the materials, and see the city and spaces they pass through every day in a new light."


ikson@heraldcorp.com