Beyond the Pines
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Temporary Installation
3.75 sqm
2025
Completed
Francis Kéré
Ho-Jae Lee
Jacob Kleiman, Beatrice Mazzucco, Pablo Sanchez, Sophie Schräder
Thomas Heatherwick Studio, Future Urban Spaces Planning Division, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Guerrilla Builders
The 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025
For the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025, Kéré Architecture presents the installation Beyond the Pines. The project is part of the thematic exhibition Walls of Public Life, curated by General Director Thomas Heatherwick and hosted by the Future Urban Spaces Planning Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Positioned within an ensemble of 24 walls, the installation examines how urban surfaces and facades can be designed to connect more meaningfully with the people who inhabit the city.
Beyond the Pines is constructed from locally sourced Korean pine and takes the form of a wall that also functions as a canopy and seating structure. It invites visitors to gather, pause, and physically engage with the material. With its flame-like silhouette and enduring presence, Korean pine is the emblematic tree of the peninsula. For more than a thousand years, it has been revered not only as a native species but as a cultural symbol deeply embedded in Korean identity. Its strong, fine-grained timber was central to historic Korean architecture, forming the structural core of temples and hanok houses.
Today, Korean pine remains a living symbol of the country’s enduring connection to its natural and cultural heritage. As this material has gradually been replaced by glass and steel, especially in the rise of high-density urban construction, Kéré Architecture proposes a rediscovery of pine as a meaningful building material.
The installation invites visitors to touch, sit, and inhabit the wall. Carefully placed openings allow light to filter through, creating a shifting interplay of shadow and illumination. The seating surface is made from charred pine, introducing a distinct tactile and visual layer while extending the material’s durability. By transforming pine into a tactile architectural element, the installation encourages physical connection and sensory memory. The design attempts to reconnect the body with materials that once shaped everyday life but have since faded from view. The project reflects a landscape in transition and seeks to reawaken collective memory.
Through the scent, texture, and warmth of pine, Beyond the Pines aims to renew emotional bonds to nature at a time of ecological uncertainty. Increasing wildfire risks and forest management practices, including pruning, may also make pine more available as a local and sustainable resource. The installation exemplifies Kéré Architecture’s approach to building with local materials and traditions, transforming them into people-centered spaces that offer comfort, invite interaction, and create moments of shared connection.
For the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2025, Kéré Architecture presents the installation Beyond the Pines. The project is part of the thematic exhibition Walls of Public Life, curated by General Director Thomas Heatherwick and hosted by the Future Urban Spaces Planning Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Positioned within an ensemble of 24 walls, the installation examines how urban surfaces and facades can be designed to connect more meaningfully with the people who inhabit the city.
Beyond the Pines is constructed from locally sourced Korean pine and takes the form of a wall that also functions as a canopy and seating structure. It invites visitors to gather, pause, and physically engage with the material. With its flame-like silhouette and enduring presence, Korean pine is the emblematic tree of the peninsula. For more than a thousand years, it has been revered not only as a native species but as a cultural symbol deeply embedded in Korean identity. Its strong, fine-grained timber was central to historic Korean architecture, forming the structural core of temples and hanok houses.
Today, Korean pine remains a living symbol of the country’s enduring connection to its natural and cultural heritage. As this material has gradually been replaced by glass and steel, especially in the rise of high-density urban construction, Kéré Architecture proposes a rediscovery of pine as a meaningful building material.
The installation invites visitors to touch, sit, and inhabit the wall. Carefully placed openings allow light to filter through, creating a shifting interplay of shadow and illumination. The seating surface is made from charred pine, introducing a distinct tactile and visual layer while extending the material’s durability. By transforming pine into a tactile architectural element, the installation encourages physical connection and sensory memory. The design attempts to reconnect the body with materials that once shaped everyday life but have since faded from view. The project reflects a landscape in transition and seeks to reawaken collective memory.
Through the scent, texture, and warmth of pine, Beyond the Pines aims to renew emotional bonds to nature at a time of ecological uncertainty. Increasing wildfire risks and forest management practices, including pruning, may also make pine more available as a local and sustainable resource. The installation exemplifies Kéré Architecture’s approach to building with local materials and traditions, transforming them into people-centered spaces that offer comfort, invite interaction, and create moments of shared connection.
