Seoul and Basel deepen architectural ties through international exchange
Summary
Seoul Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs Kim Seong-bo met Basel-Stadt government head Conradin Cramer in Basel on Nov. 3 to discuss cooperation in urban planning and architecture. The two sides reviewed their 2026 architect exchange program and explored cooperation for the 2027 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. At a public forum, Korean and Basel architects discussed urban identity, social sustainability and public spaces. The exchange program also includes visits to architectural projects, firms and institutions in four Swiss cities.
Key Facts
- The Seoul-Basel urban architecture exchange agreement was signed last year.
- Korean architects Jeong Sang-kyung, Baek Han-yeol and Hong Jeong-hee joined Basel architects Magdalena Stadler and Miriam Stierle at the forum, moderated by Miquel del Rio Sanin.
- The 2026 program opened Monday and runs until Friday across Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich.
- The Seoul delegation plans to visit Schaulager in Switzerland and Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in the Netherlands as reference models for Seoul’s planned Visible Storage public art storage facility.
- The visits will examine how conservation and research facilities can coexist with public exhibition spaces where visitors engage with art.
A poster for the 2026 Seoul-Basel Architect Exchange Program / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Seoul and Basel are looking to turn architectural dialogue into practical cooperation, bringing emerging Korean architects together with Swiss counterparts to exchange ideas on how cities can preserve their identities while adapting to changing social needs.
Seoul's Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs Kim Seong-bo met with Conradin Cramer, head of the government of Basel-Stadt, in Basel on Nov. 3 to discuss cooperation in urban planning and architecture.
The meeting followed an agreement on exchanges in urban architecture signed by Seoul and Basel-Stadt last year, with both sides reviewing their 2026 architect exchange program and exploring potential cooperation for the sixth Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2027.
Later that day, Kim attended a public forum at kHaus in Basel, where he delivered welcoming remarks as architects from the two cities presented their work and discussed shared urban challenges.
The Korean participants were architects Jeong Sang-kyung, Baek Han-yeol and Hong Jeong-hee, while Basel was represented by Magdalena Stadler and Miriam Stierle.
Moderated by architect Miquel del Rio Sanin, the discussion covered urban identity and continuity, social sustainability and public spaces, drawing on the participants' professional experiences in their respective cities.
The forum was part of the 2026 Seoul-Switzerland Architect Exchange Program, which opened Monday and continues until Friday across Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich, with Korean participants visiting architectural projects, firms and institutions and taking part in workshops.
The Seoul delegation will also visit Schaulager in Switzerland and Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in the Netherlands, two institutions being examined as reference models for Seoul's planned public art storage facility, known as the Visible Storage project.
The visits will focus on how conservation and research facilities can coexist with public exhibition spaces that allow visitors to engage with art.
"The dialogue between cities, which has continued through the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, is leading to practical exchanges among architects," Kim said.
"Building on this meeting, Seoul and Basel will share their experiences and continue their cooperation at the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2027."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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