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Busan seeks international designers for a cultural pavilion system ahead of 2028
Busan, South Korea, has launched an international competition to design two interconnected cultural pavilions for its World Design Capital 2028 programme. Combining a permanent location with a mobile structure, the initiative invites architecture and design practices to explore how modular cultural infrastructure can reach different communities across the city
As preparations for World Design Capital 2028 advance, Busan Metropolitan City and Design Council Busan are inviting international professionals to develop an architectural system capable of supporting exhibitions, educational activities and public participation.
The competition, launched on 2 October 2026, calls for two complementary structures: a Fixed Pavilion located at a representative site in the city and a Mobile Pavilion designed to operate across different urban environments.
Announcement from the World Design Organization, via wdo.org
Rather than commissioning two independent buildings, the organisers are seeking a unified design language that can connect both structures through shared materials, modular components and visitor experiences.
The fixed pavilion is intended to function as a cultural and information centre, accommodating exhibitions, workshops and activities related to the World Design Capital programme.
The mobile pavilion, meanwhile, must be adaptable to different settings, including public squares, waterfront areas and temporary event locations, allowing cultural programming to reach audiences beyond a single destination.
The central architectural challenge is to develop a flexible system that can move between locations while maintaining a recognisable identity and supporting different forms of public activity.
Participants are encouraged to consider material efficiency, assembly and disassembly, transportation, storage and long-term maintenance. The organisers also want the system to remain useful beyond the 2028 programme, extending its potential contribution to the city’s cultural infrastructure.
The competition is open to eligible architecture and design professionals, companies and multidisciplinary teams from South Korea and abroad.
Its first stage requires an anonymous concept proposal of no more than six A3 landscape pages, with submissions closing on 26 October 2026.
Busan, via en.sedaily.com
Two shortlisted teams will then receive approximately US$14,000 each to develop their proposals over four weeks. The final winning team will receive an additional fee of approximately US$35,000 for refining the design and preparing implementation guidance.
An important distinction is that the competition concerns the development of a design system, not a complete architectural construction commission. Detailed professional design, fabrication and installation are expected to be procured separately in 2027, without an automatic contract for the competition winner.
For architecture practices, the initiative presents an opportunity to explore cultural infrastructure through collaboration between architectural design, exhibition planning, modular construction and visitor experience.
Busan’s competition also reflects a broader opportunity for practices to develop adaptable architectural systems that can support cultural events across multiple locations rather than serving a single permanent building.
The selected proposal could provide a useful reference for cities seeking to extend the reach of cultural programmes while considering the environmental and operational implications of temporary architecture.
Further Information
World Design Capital Busan 2028 – Official competition website
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