art light GmbH

What art light GmbH does

art light GmbH is a Swiss product-neutral lighting design and consulting firm founded in 1997 by Mario Rechsteiner and headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The firm provides comprehensive daylight and artificial lighting planning (Tages- und Kunstlichtplanung) for interior and exterior spaces, covering the full project lifecycle from preliminary concept studies and feasibility analyses through tendering, construction supervision, and commissioning. Core technical capabilities include 3D modeling for photometric calculations, on-site luminance and UGR measurements using mobile luminance cameras, custom luminaire development for unique architectural requirements, and Minergie compliance documentation per SIA 380/4. The firm holds authorisation to conduct private inspections for Minergie certification.

The company operates as a professional services firm under a sales-led go-to-market model, with project acquisition driven by professional reputation, architectural partnerships, and direct client relationships rather than intermediaries. Its service portfolio spans eleven interconnected modules covering analysis, project planning, tendering, implementation, light technical calculations, custom luminaire development, permit certifications, expert opinions, light measurements, and economic feasibility calculations. The team comprises seven specialists drawn from architecture, interior architecture, and dedicated lighting design backgrounds, with credentials from ETH Zurich, Politecnico Milano, KTH Stockholm, Bartenbach Academy, and other international institutions.

The customer base spans Swiss architects and architectural firms, cantonal and municipal governments, private residential clients, healthcare providers, educational institutions, banks, and luxury hospitality operators. Documented engagements include city-wide lighting master plans (notably Plan Lumière Luzern, 2006-2018), multi-decade relationships with Kantonsspital St. Gallen and Raiffeisenbank branches, and projects in Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Ireland. The firm has accumulated more than 17 international awards, including Deutscher Lichtdesign Preis and IESNA International Illumination Design Awards of Merit. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based with no public rate card, reflecting the bespoke nature of lighting design engagements.

Name

art light GmbH

Legal name

art light gmbh

Website

https://artlight.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

art light GmbH is a Swiss product-neutral lighting design consultancy founded in 1997, providing daylight and artificial lighting planning for architects, municipal governments, healthcare, education, hospitality, and private clients across Switzerland and the broader DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design Consulting

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Lighting Design & Layout (HSAIAHAA)

Keywords

• Lighting design services
• Architectural lighting planning
• Daylight planning consulting
• Photometric calculations
• Lighting master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lighting Planning and Consulting Services: Professional lighting planning and consulting services for private clients, architects, and municipal developers. Services cover the full project lifecycle: preliminary project, construction project, permitting procedures, tendering, comparison of offers, construction supervision, commissioning, and project completion. The company is product-neutral, meaning it does not sell luminaires, positioning itself as an independent advisor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

art light GmbH is a product-neutral lighting design and consulting firm that plans daylight and artificial lighting for interior and exterior spaces. The firm supports projects across the entire lifecycle — from preliminary concept studies and feasibility analyses through planning, permitting, tendering, construction supervision, commissioning, and final completion. The company does not sell luminaires, positioning itself as an independent advisor to architects, municipalities, and private clients.

Product overview

art light GmbH is a light planning consultancy firm founded in 1997 in St. Gallen (CH), offering product-neutral daylight and artificial light planning services. The company's service portfolio comprises a unified approach with interconnected modules covering the full project lifecycle: from initial analyses and concept development through detailed planning (Projektierung), tendering (Ausschreibung), and implementation (Realisierung). Additional specialized services include light technical calculations with 3D modeling, custom luminaire development, permit certifications (including Minergie), expert opinions, on-site light measurements, and economic feasibility calculations. The firm specializes in both interior and exterior spaces across various building types including cultural buildings, educational facilities, healthcare, hotels, retail, residential, and public outdoor areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product-Neutral Daylight and Artificial Light Planning (Tages- und Kunstlichtplanung)

Quantifiable outcome

• Plan Lumière Luzern — city-wide lighting master plan developed and implemented from 2006 through 2018, covering over 20 individual projects in the city of Lucerne.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SLG (Schweizerische Lichtgesellschaft)minorOthersProfessional membership in the Swiss Lighting Society (SLG). This membership provides industry visibility and connection to the Swiss lighting professional community.
• LiTG (Deutsche Lichttechnische Gesellschaft e.V.)minorOthersProfessional membership in the German Lighting Technology Society. Provides access to German-speaking lighting technology expertise and industry network.
• FILD (Federation of International Lighting Designers Association)minorOthersMembership in the international federation of lighting design associations, providing global industry connections and professional standards alignment.
• MINERGIE (Switzerland)coreOthersMINERGIE certification partner. The company creates Minergie compliance documentation (SIA 380/4) for projects and is authorized to conduct private inspections for Minergie certification. Several projects (Neue Stadtschule St. Gallen, BZR Buechenwald Gossau, FH St. Gallen, Primarschule Schönenwegen St. Gallen, Schulzentrum Mühleholz Vaduz) were completed to MINERGIE standards.
• Architektur Forum OstschweizminorOthersMembership in the Architecture Forum of Eastern Switzerland, providing regional professional visibility and network within the architecture community.
• pro/colore (Schweizerische Vereinigung für die Farbe)minorOthersMembership in the Swiss Association for Color, connecting lighting design expertise with color science and visual perception.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting manufacturer and IoT platform provider offering design services and specification support. Overlaps with art light as a lighting-design resource for large projects but is structurally manufacturer-affiliated, contrasting with art light's product-neutral model.
• Hoare Lea (Lighting Design): UK-headquartered engineering consultancy with a dedicated lighting design practice delivering interior, exterior, and daylight design services. Comparable in professional-services expertise but embedded inside a broader MEP engineering offering rather than a specialist lighting boutique.
• Zumtobel Group: Austrian-headquartered global lighting manufacturer with in-house design support, controls, and project services for commercial architectural lighting. Comparable where it touches specification and design advisory work, but unlike art light, sells the luminaires it would specify.
• ERCO GmbH: Lüdenscheid-based German architectural lighting manufacturer offering specification tools, design support, and digital lighting calculation resources. Overlaps with art light's deliverable space for commercial/architectural projects but is structurally a manufacturer with vested product interests.
• Arup (Lighting Design): Global engineering consultancy with an established architectural lighting design practice within its Buildings portfolio. Comparable in deliverable expertise (computational lighting, masterplanning, daylight analysis) but competes as part of a much wider multi-disciplinary offering rather than as a specialist boutique like art light.

Regional players

• Tropp Lighting Design: Independent lighting design consultancy operating primarily in the UK with similar professional-services scope. Comparable in business model and project type (architectural, heritage, hospitality, urban) but operates in a different geography, making it a regional analogue rather than direct competitor to art light's DACH market.

Direct peers

• Bartenbach GmbH: Aldrans, Austria-based independent lighting design and applied research firm. Highly comparable to art light: similar product-neutral service offering spanning Tages- und Kunstlichtplanung, comparable DACH geography, R&D orientation, and architectural-institutional client base. The two firms represent the most natural 1:1 competitive analogue.
• Kardorff Ingenieure: Berlin-based architectural lighting design consultancy serving cultural, civic, and commercial clients in Germany. Directly comparable in service scope (interior/exterior/urban), product-neutral positioning, and clientele — the primary German-language lighting-design peer in the art light segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 art light GmbH