In a world of change – demographic, digital and climatic – certainties we once took for granted are falling away. This makes places where people come together more important than ever. Such spaces must be sustainable: flexible enough to meet new demands, gentle on the environment, timeless in their design and easy to maintain. Above all, they need an atmosphere that invites people to linger and to meet. Virtual space, and its interfaces with the built world, play a significant role here as well.

These spaces are never finished. From planning and construction through to use, they evolve with the people who shape them. At their best, symbioses emerge: networks that offer support, and fresh perspectives on the questions of our time.
Creating such spaces is, for us, the ultimate discipline. By planning and adapting together with their users, something emerges that is hard to achieve alone: the unrivalled poetry of the imperfect. It reveals new potential and puts it to use.

Philipp Broinger, Architect
Symbios Architektur, Austria

This reflection is part of UNFINISHED, an ongoing BIG SEE conversation about what still deserves our time, attention and creative energy – and what is worth bringing into the world next.

Share your own reflection. Your contribution will be published in BIG SEE Magazine, shared across BIG SEE channels throughout the year, and presented in the UNFINISHED exhibition at the BIG SEE Festival 2027 in Portorož. As a contributor, you become an exhibiting participant and receive a complimentary Festival Pass.