What Gmp does

gmp (Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner) is a privately held, full-service architectural firm founded in 1965 by Meinhard von Gerkan and Volkwin Marg, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and organized as gmp International GmbH. The firm delivers architectural design, planning, and project supervision services across all building typologies — stadiums, airports, museums, cultural venues, concert halls, hospitals, libraries, commercial towers, and urban developments — with a portfolio that includes the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Chinese National Museum, Isarphilharmonie Gasteig HP8 Munich, and Kulturpalast Dresden. Projects are executed using BIM-integrated workflows (Revit, AutoCAD, Creative Cloud) and the firm's proprietary 'UMBAU – Nonstop Transformation' approach to adaptive reuse and renovation, the latter embedded in an active touring exhibition program.

The firm operates across 9 offices in Germany (Hamburg×2, Berlin, Aachen, Munich), China (Beijing as China HQ, Shanghai, Shenzhen), Vietnam (Hanoi), and the USA (New York), enabling localized competition participation and client service. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through project-based professional services fees regulated by the German HOAI (Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure) framework and tied to project scope, building typology, and service phases; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Projects are acquired via open and invited architectural competitions, direct commissions, and repeat-client relationships, with primary customer segments being public-sector clients (federal, state, and municipal governments) and large private commercial developers, alongside healthcare institutions and sports organizations.

Leadership includes founding partner Volkwin Marg and Executive Partners Stephan Schütz, Wei Wu, Magdalena Weiß, and Nikolaus Goetze; the firm is signatory to the UN Global Compact (since 2020), ISO 9001-certified for quality management, certified under VdS 10000 for information security, and an active member of BIM Allianz e.V., DGNB, CTBUH, NAX, and the Bundesstiftung Baukultur. Thought-leadership activities include 15 published project volumes (1965-2022), the Academy for Architectural Culture (aac) workshop program co-founded in 2009, and ongoing participation in CTBUH, BIM World, and ICONIC AWARDS juries and panels.

Name

Gmp

Legal name

gmp International GmbH

Website

https://gmp.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

gmp Architekten is a Hamburg-based, privately held full-service architectural firm founded in 1965, delivering competition-winning design, planning, and project supervision for stadiums, airports, museums, hospitals, and cultural and commercial buildings worldwide. The firm operates from 9 offices in Germany, China, Vietnam, and the USA and serves primarily public-sector and large private developer clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Building renovation
• Urban master planning
• Stadium architecture
• Building information modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Planning Services: gmp generates revenue through fees for architectural design, planning, and project supervision services across all building typologies. Revenue is project-based, billed according to German HOAI (Honorare für Leistungen der Architekten und Ingenieure) regulations, with fees tied to project scope and phase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

gmp Architekten is a full-service architecture firm that designs buildings and urban developments — including stadiums, airports, museums, concert halls, libraries, hospitals, swimming pools, office towers, and cultural venues — from competition entry through detailed execution planning and construction supervision. The firm delivers new builds as well as complex renovations and adaptive reuse of historic structures under its "UMBAU – Nonstop Transformation" methodology, leveraging integrated BIM workflows across nine global offices.

Product overview

gmp (Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner) is a full-service architectural firm offering comprehensive architectural design services across all building typologies including stadiums, airports, museums, hospitals, cultural venues, and urban development projects. The portfolio includes renowned projects such as Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Alsterschwimmhalle Hamburg, and Chinese National Museum. Beyond core architectural services, gmp maintains complementary offerings including publications documenting their project work, traveling exhibition series (such as the 'UMBAU. Nonstop Transformation' exhibition), and video documentation of projects and events. The firm operates across 9 offices globally in Hamburg, Berlin, Aachen, Munich, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hanoi, and New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services End-to-end architectural design, master planning, urban design, and construction supervision across all building typologies — stadiums, airports, museums, cultural centers, concert halls, libraries, hospitals, office towers, swimming pools, and urban developments — provided to public sector clients, private developers, healthcare institutions, and sports organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 competition wins and landmark projects completed globally since 1965
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• schlaich bergermann partner (sbp)coreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing structural engineering partnership. sbp (schlaich bergermann partner) worked with gmp on the Alsterschwimmhalle Hamburg renovation (2020-2023), developing movable facade connections and preserving the historic shell roof structure. Sven Plieninger, Partner at sbp, was directly involved in the conversion project. The firms also collaborate on stadium projects including Santiago Bernabéu.
• Implenia Fassadentechnik GmbHmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplenia Fassadentechnik GmbH served as the facade contractor for the Alsterschwimmhalle Hamburg renovation, working with gmp and sbp to develop the telescopic piston support system for the facade-roof connection.
• Eneratio PartGmbBmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEneratio PartGmbB, Consulting Engineers for rational energy use, provided MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) engineering services for the Alsterschwimmhalle project, including ventilation systems with heat recovery exceeding 80% efficiency.
• Bäderland Hamburg GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and collaborative partner for the Alsterschwimmhalle Hamburg renovation (2020-2023). Bäderland Hamburg GmbH operates Hamburg's public swimming facilities and was the project client for the conversion of one of Europe's largest shell buildings.
• DROPS (Forschungsprojekt)minorStrategic or Co-development Partnergmp participates in the DROPS research project developing 'Data Standards for Resource-Optimized Production and Service Processes' in buildings and quarters, contributing to digitization in the construction sector.
• IPA Zentrum (Kompetenzzentrum für Integrierte Projektabwicklung)minorStrategic or Co-development Partnergmp is a member of the IPA Zentrum, the Competence Center for Integrated Project Delivery, which enables project participants in the construction industry to successfully realize complex building projects using IPA models.
• BIM Allianz e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partnergmp holds board positions and actively participates in working committees (Sustainability and Existing Buildings) of BIM Allianz e.V., an association of national and international architecture firms jointly addressing BIM methodology challenges.
• Academy for Architectural Culture (aac)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Stephan Schütz, the Academy for Architectural Culture (aac) runs workshops and educational programs, serving as a thought leadership and talent pipeline initiative. The aac has been running workshops regularly since its founding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Copenhagen/New York signature firm with growing portfolio in cultural, residential, and commercial architecture. Increasingly competing with gmp in high-profile international competitions and exhibitions.

Direct peers

• Populous: Sports-architecture specialist and direct competitor on stadium and arena commissions (NFL, MLB, FIFA). Highly comparable for gmp's growing stadium pipeline including Santiago Bernabéu.
• Herzog & de Meuron: Basel-based signature architecture firm with overlapping stadium (Allianz Arena, Bird's Nest), cultural, and museum portfolio. Highly comparable in competition wins for iconic public buildings and international delivery model.
• HPP Architekten: Düsseldorf-based German architecture firm with similar international footprint, designing stadiums, offices, and healthcare facilities. Closest direct German peer to gmp in typology mix, partner-led governance, and HOAI-fee exposure.
• Foster + Partners: London-based global architecture firm of comparable size and typology breadth, designing airports (Beijing), stadiums, museums, and tall buildings. Most direct comparable to gmp in scale, signature project portfolio, and competition-led business model.
• David Chipperfield Architects: London/Berlin/Milan/Shanghai-based firm with strong museum and cultural-building portfolio (Neues Museum Berlin, James-Simon-Galerie). Comparable typology and European cultural-sector client overlap.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): New York-based tall-building and large-mixed-use specialist. Directly comparable for gmp's CITIC Tower and JingIN Center typologies and overlap in Asia-Pacific delivery.
• Ingenhoven Architects: Düsseldorf-based German architecture firm with comparable international focus on sustainability, adaptive reuse, and signature office/cultural buildings. Direct German peer with similar size profile.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: Signature-architecture firm with comparable portfolio of stadium, cultural, and commercial projects (Beijing Daxing Airport, Al Wakrah Stadium). Direct competitor in competition juries for marquee international commissions.

Broad incumbents

• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): Larger global incumbent with broad typology coverage including airports, stadiums, and tall buildings. Overlaps with gmp in international project delivery but at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/gmparchitekten
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/gmparchitekten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gmp-architekten-von-gerkan-marg-und-partner
• Instagraminstagram.com/gmp.architects

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gmp