One of the most prominent architecture and product design platforms in Southeast Europe BIG SEE festival gathers designers, architects, brands, and decision-makers. The festival has emerged through the unification of two separate festivals, BIG Architecture and BIG Design, to reflect an expanded vision that aims to use architecture and design as main tools for navigating complexity, responsibility, and change.
The BIG SEE 2026 focuses on one urgent question: Too much? What is just enough? In the time of abundance marked with more of everything, the festival asks us to wonder whether less might actually be more. Architecture and design were created to provide structure, orientation, and shelter, not excess. In the era where both these disciplines work with unprecedented freedom, restraining yourself from making unnecessary objects becomes a responsibility.
Therefore, the motto of the event is more than a slogan – it is a guiding framework that shapes the entire show from conference to exhibitions, talks, and trade shows. The festival will be unveiled in three connected layers.
- The conference that allows for reflection and debate on measures in architecture and design
- The awards honouring top architecture and product design
- Trade shows with a curated selection of products, materials, and technologies
These layers jointly try to increase awareness of relevance, scale, responsibility, and long-term impact of architecture and design.
Conference: Pause and take responsibility
The BIG SEE Conference is about self-reflection and consequences. The program introduces some of the most uncomfortable questions, including who architecture truly serves today, where reduction becomes intelligence, and the ethical side of design decisions. Selçuk Avcı, Einar Jarmund, Lutz Kucher, Tanja Završki, and Aleksander Ostan will explore these questions through 5 perspectives: Architecture and Relevance, Urban Humanity, The Great Reduction, BIG and Measure in Architecture.
BIG SEE Awards 2026
Initially focused on Southeastern Europe, the event, launched in 2018, has expanded to provide international awards for meaningful achievements in architecture and product design. The award is not a trophy but an acknowledgement of work which favours substance over scale, clarity over spectacle, and overall originality. The winner will enjoy increased visibility across the festival and beyond with a yearlong editorial exposure. Submissions for the Product Design Awards and Architecture and Interior Design Awards are open till March 15, 2026, on the event’s website.
Trade Show
Envisioned as an alternative to large commercial fairs, the BIG SEE Trade Show champions those industry professionals who present innovation that truly matters, prioritising relevant conversations and lasting effect. With more than 3,000 visitors from over 21 countries, more than 100 curated exhibitiors the festival creates meaningful connections.
International survey
As part of the 2026 event, the BIG SEE launched an international survey gathering insight on what “just enough” means today. Responses will be used to create a collective reflection that will continue live at the event, while selected answers will be published on bigsee.eu.
Participants receive:
- a free entrance invitation to the festival,
- the opportunity to join a live conference discussion. Their response might be published on bigsee.eu,
- and access to a bigger BIG SEE international community.
BIG SEE Festival 2026 aims to create a space that encourages discernment, allowing professionals to choose less as an ethical act. The BIG SEE Festival 2026 will take place on May 21 and 22 in Portorož, Slovenia.
