Christian Holl: Many projects by Moser and Nussbaumer are heavily informed by
their intention to invigorate the public area that surrounds them. At the same time,
one also recognizes their tendency to house public space where people shop and take
advantage of recreational offers, so that a semi-public area develops. Isn't there a
certain contradiction?

Heinz Moser: In the final analysis, our semi-public spaces are not enclosed by any
walls. There are only membranes1 whose delimiting effect is a function of the activities
in the adjacent areas. These membranes also serve to convey vibrations; the pulse of
the city beats within the building as well. These areas continue to serve the public
even if they can be closed off. We avoid thresholds which might give users cause to
hesitate or even prevent them from entering at all. We would be glad to build in an
even more open fashion - but the builders' security requirements all too often take
precedence.

Roger Nussbaumer: We pay special attention to the transitions from public to the
semipublic space and from there into the private sphere. These "interstitial spaces"