MAD Architects Presents “Breathing Cells” at the 2025 Seoul Biennale

"Breathing Cells," an installation by MAD Architects, is currently on view at Songhyeon Green Plaza in Seoul as part of the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. Invited by Biennale Director Thomas Heatherwick, the installation opened on September 26, 2025, and will remain on display until November 18. Responding to the curatorial theme "Radically More Human," the work presents an alternative vision for future urban environments, one where architecture behaves more like a living organism than a static object.

What should be taken into account when designing a fire station? The answer may seem obvious: functionality and efficiency. After all, every second counts in an emergency. But can a building designed for urgent operations also be aesthetically compelling, welcoming, and connected to its community? In recent decades, architects such as Zaha Hadid and Álvaro Siza have demonstrated that it can. By rethinking this building type, they have created spaces that go beyond emergency response—spaces that strengthen social ties, support the well-being of firefighters, and become urban landmarks.

CUBE has been completed; a stacked workshop building of 4,734 m² GFA for the Faculty of Engineering Technology on the Drienerlo campus of the University of Twente in Enschede. CUBE was designed by Civic Architects, VDNDP, and Studio Groen+Schild, and built by WAM&VanDuren Bouwgroep and WSi Techniek. The building forms a compact extension of the Horst complex with stacked workshops, offices, and flexible laboratory spaces.

Bangkok faces a significant challenge in providing adequate green space for its residents. With a mere 7.49 square meters of green space per person, the city falls well below the World Health Organization's recommended standard of 9 square meters. Recognizing this urgent need, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has set an ambitious goal: to increase the per capita green space to 10 square meters by 2030.