7 Landmarks That Hold A Special Place In The Hearts Of BTS Members

They may be on hiatus, but as BTS continues to make history, the band takes a moment to look back at their group’s personal history in this special collaboration with Google Arts & Culture.

BTS x Street Galleries is a project aimed to bring fans on a cultural tour of the memorable places BTS has been to before. Each member has their own street gallery in these places, where they showcase artworks that share their personal stories and the group’s overall advocacy of love, hope, and acceptance. This collaboration was launched on July 9, which is also known as the birthday of ARMY (BTS fandom).

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What makes this project extra special is the personalization feature, which allows fans to make their own street galleries using the locations provided by BTS. By using photos of BTS and artworks from Google Arts & Culture, fans will be able to tell their own stories and revisit special memories they have had with the group.

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RM: Namdaemun, Seoul - RM’s street gallery is located in Namdaemun, a historical monument in South Korea and also the oldest surviving wooden structure in Seoul. Also known as the Sungnyemun, Namdaemun is the southern gate of the Seoul Fortress Wall that used to surround the city during the Joseon Dynasty. Google Arts & Culture

- For BTS, Namdaemun holds a special meaning to them because it was where they opened their Global Citizen Live concert back in 2021 with a performance of “Permission To Dance.” Encyclopedia Britannica

- RM correlates the historical significance of Namdaemun to art, as he views art as something that is timeless, which is why he decided to choose Namdaemun as the location of his virtual art gallery.Agoda

Jin: Allianz Parque Stadium, São Paulo - Featured in Jin’s art gallery is the Allianz Parque Stadium in Brazil, where BTS held their concert in São Paulo during their Love Yourself tour in 2019. Led by architects Tomas Taveira and Edo Rocha, this stadium began construction in 2010 and was fully built by November 2014. Google Arts & Culture

- Other artists that have performed here are Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Paul McCartney, and Coldplay. Whilst the Allianz Parque Stadium is the chosen location for his gallery, Jin shared that São Paulo is one of BTS’ favorite cities because they love the positive energy in the city. @allianzparque

- Jin expressed that he thinks of São Paulo when he’s feeling a little low, and this is why he chose São Paulo as the location to place his virtual gallery: because art can be a healer, too, just like music and just like the city of São Paulo.@allianzparque

Suga: Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles - For Suga’s street gallery, he chose the Dolby Theatre along Hollywood Boulevard, which is a live-performance auditorium that hosts some of the most prestigious premieres, shows, and events, including the Oscars. Google Arts & Culture

- Suga expressed that the Dolby Theatre is a very significant place for BTS because this is where their dream of gaining international recognition began. He further shared that back in 2014, they went to the United States during a time wherein they were not yet recognized outside of South Korea, and in Los Angeles, they were out on the streets giving flyers to people to try and convince them to go see their concert in Hollywood. Dolby Theatre Official Website

- So, seeing the Dolby Theatre reminds Suga of these memories, and takes him back to a time when they dreamed of sharing their music with millions of people across the world, which is now something that they have since greatly achieved.Dolby Theatre Official Website

J-Hope: United Nations, New York - J-Hope staged his virtual street gallery at the United Nations building. Led by a board of architects headed by Wallace Harrison and built by the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz, the building was completed in the year 1951, and since then, has stood as the organization’s headquarters. Google Arts & Culture

- Of course, the United Nations organization holds a very special place in the hearts of the BTS members. BTS was physically invited to attend and speak at the United Nations General Assembly on two occasions: once back in 2018 at the 73rd Assembly where RM gave a moving speech about loving and speaking yourself, and once more in 2021 at the 76th Assembly as the appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture by former South Korea President Moon Jae-in.United Nations Official Website

- BTS also made a virtual appearance during the 75th Assembly to share their message which aimed to bring comfort to people, and they even got to do a special music video/performance of “Permission To Dance” at the United Nations building in 2021!United Nations Official Website

Jimin: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore - The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is where Jimin holds his virtual gallery.Google Arts & Culture

- Opened in 2010, Marina Bay Sands is a luxurious hotel resort that faces Marina Bay and is composed of three 55-story towers with one connecting roof that holds the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool. For a great number of people, the structure of this resort reminds them of a ship that is afloat three towers, which makes the structure look quite unique and stand out from other luxurious hotels. Marina Bay Sands Official Website

- Jimin chose the Marina Bay Sands because he is reminded of the concert they held in Singapore for their Love Yourself tour and this memory further reminds him of the journey of self-love and acceptance that he’s been personally going through these past few years.Marina Bay Sands Official Website

V: Tower Bridge, London - Featured in V’s street gallery is the Tower Bridge in London. The Tower Bridge is a movable, double-leaf bascule bridge that traverses the River Thames.Google Arts & Culture

- Built between 1886 and 1894, the Tower Bridge was designed by Horace Jones, with its engineering headed by John Wolfe Barry and assisted by Henry Marc Brunel. This bridge is known to be London’s most striking bridge for its utilization of Neo-Gothic architecture. V chose this location to stage his gallery because of his passion for photography. Encyclopedia Britannica

- He shared that he loved to snap photos of the “moody and picturesque streets of London,” as well as photos of the natural world. He further shared that he is able to capture and uncover all of the beauty and depth of different places through his camera.Encyclopedia Britannica

Jungkook: Chunggu Building, Seoul - For Jungkook’s virtual art gallery, he takes us back to Seoul at the Chunggu Building, which is a meaningful place for both BTS and ARMYs alike. Google Arts & Culture

- The Chunggu Building used to be the BigHit Entertainment building, where BTS spent most of their time during their pre-debut days and even during the first few years of their careers. It is a humble-looking building, and did not belong to BigHit Entertainment only, as they shared the building with other businesses or companies; it was only in 2017 that BigHit Entertainment was able to move into a new building of their own.Foursquare

- Jungkook describes the Chunggu Building as their second home since their debut in 2013, and given the amount of hard work and hardships that the BTS members had to endure during their times in this building, this title seems very fitting.Google Street View

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You may experience the full BTS x Street Galleries project through this link.