Holzer Kobler Architectures

What Holzer Kobler Architectures does

Holzer Kobler Architectures is a privately held architecture and exhibition design firm founded in 2004, headquartered in Zurich with additional offices in Berlin, Cologne, and Nyon. The firm operates as two legal entities: Holzer Kobler Architekturen GmbH (Switzerland) and Holzer Kobler Architekturen Berlin GmbH (Germany). Its service portfolio spans architectural design, exhibition design and scenography, urban planning and masterplanning, and interior architecture. The firm serves institutional and enterprise clients across five primary segments: museums and cultural institutions, healthcare facilities, real estate and urban development, hospitality, and education and research. Notable clients include Stiftung Humboldt Forum, Sartorius AG, Felix Platter-Hospital, Beethoven-Haus Bonn, the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (BImA), and Losinger Marazzi AG.

The firm delivers projects using BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology and has developed proprietary expertise in modular and prefabricated construction (demonstrated in Cité Foch's 450 modular housing units, Frankie & Johnny student housing, and the Life Science Factory) and sustainable timber construction (exemplified in Erlebnis-Hus St. Peter-Ording). It maintains long-standing partnerships with specialty collaborators including graphic design firm 2xGoldstein, modular construction specialist ALHO Systembau, architecture firm zweikant architekturen, and lighting designer Lichtvision Design Berlin.

The business model is professional services: revenue is generated through negotiated, project-specific commissions secured via architectural competitions, direct client engagements, and repeat/referral relationships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by project. The firm is led by co-founders and Managing Directors Prof. Barbara Holzer and Prof. Tristan Kobler (Zurich entity) and Andrea Zickhardt and Roland Lehnen (Berlin entity). There is no evidence of external investment, private equity ownership, or acquisition activity, indicating an independent, founder-led practice.

Name

Holzer Kobler Architectures

Legal name

Holzer Kobler Architekturen GmbH

Website

https://holzerkobler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holzer Kobler Architectures is a Zurich-based architecture and exhibition design firm with offices in Berlin, Cologne, and Nyon, serving museums, healthcare facilities, real estate developers, and cultural institutions across Europe through architectural design, scenography, and urban planning services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Exhibition design scenography
• Urban master planning
• Modular construction
• Sustainable architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional services revenue from architectural design, exhibition design, scenography, and spatial planning for institutional, commercial, and residential clients. Projects include new construction, refurbishment, and urban development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Holzer Kobler Architectures is an architecture and exhibition design firm offering full-service architectural design, exhibition design and scenography, urban planning and masterplanning, and interior architecture. The firm delivers projects for museums, cultural institutions, healthcare facilities, residential developers, hospitality operators, and public-sector clients across Switzerland, Germany, and other European countries, with specialized expertise in modular/prefabricated construction and sustainable timber architecture.

Product overview

Holzer Kobler Architekturen is an architecture and exhibition design firm operating as a single unified practice with multiple service lines. The core offerings include architectural design (residential, commercial, cultural, public buildings), exhibition design and scenography, urban planning and masterplanning, and interior architecture. The firm works across multiple project categories including mixed-use developments, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and public spaces. Notable named projects include the Erlebnis-Hus St. Peter-Ording (multi-functional wooden visitor center), MetroPark Worblaufen (mixed-use urban development), Life Science Factory (research start-up center), Felix Platter-Hospital (geriatric healthcare facility), and the Humboldt Academy (education facility in Berlin). Projects are delivered using BIM methodologies and the firm maintains offices in Zurich, Berlin, Köln, and Nyon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design for residential, commercial, cultural, and public buildings, including concept development, planning, and construction oversight.
• Exhibition Design and Scenography Design of museum exhibitions, temporary shows, and permanent collections with focus on spatial narrative, visitor experience, and immersive environments.
• Urban Planning and Masterplanning Urban development concepts and master plans for large-scale mixed-use districts, including residential, commercial, and public spaces.
• Interior Architecture Interior design services for various building types including healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and hospitality venues.
• Erlebnis-Hus St. Peter-Ording Multi-functional wooden structure serving as a visitors' meeting point, indoor playground, tourist information center, restaurant, and panoramic viewing platform based on traditional pile construction techniques.
• MetroPark Worblaufen Mixed-use urban development featuring residential apartments, commercial spaces, and office areas near Bern, Switzerland, designed using BIM methodology.
• Life Science Factory Start-up center building in Göttingen offering laboratory workstations, co-working spaces, prototyping workshop, and event areas for life science researchers.
• Felix Platter-Hospital Four-story geriatric hospital building with 300 beds designed to harmonize with surrounding residential areas, featuring a protected central green space.
• Humboldt Academy Education and event facility within the Humboldt Forum Berlin, spanning 1,000 square meters across two levels with seminar rooms, activity spaces, and work areas.
• Frankie & Johnny Container-built student housing project in Berlin-Treptow featuring modular construction and prefabricated building techniques.

Quantifiable outcome

• Felix Platter-Hospital provides 300 beds in four-story geriatric facility
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Uniola AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration for Erlebnis-Hus St. Peter-Ording beach promenade project. Uniola provided landscape design as part of open-space project collaboration.
• Losinger Marazzi AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate development partnership for MetroPark Worblaufen project. Losinger Marazzi serves as total contractor for the mixed-use development designed by Holzer Kobler.
• Weber + Brönnimann LandschaftsarchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture collaboration for MetroPark Worblaufen project.
• 2xGoldsteincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing graphic design partner for exhibition projects including Bauhaus-Museum Weimar, Beethoven-Haus Bonn, Kunsthalle Mannheim exhibitions, and Humboldt Forum.
• zweikant architekturencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partnership for multiple projects including Li18.Berlin residential building and Humboldt Forum Berlin. Berlin-based architecture firm.
• YEWO LandscapesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetition collaboration for Migros Madretsch project, awarded 2nd place.
• Atelier Loidl LandschaftsarchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetition collaboration for BUGA 2029 Oberes Mittelrheintal project, awarded 2nd place.
• A24 LandschaftsarchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetition collaboration for BUGA 2029 Oberes Mittelrheintal project in Bacharach.
• Atelier TataminorOthersRendering and visualization partner for various projects including Migros Madretsch and STO Innovation Center competition entry.
• ALHO SystembaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral planning partner for Cité Foch modular housing project. ALHO provides serial modular construction for the Berlin residential development.
• Heller EnterprisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition concept partnership for Simply Zurich permanent exhibition at National Museum Zurich.
• International Red Cross and Red Crescent MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition design partnership for traveling Prison exhibition in cooperation with Musée des Confluences Lyon and Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Snøhetta: Multi-disciplinary design firm with strong cultural, public, and exhibition architecture portfolio; comparable in combining architecture, interior, and scenography for cultural institutions.
• MVRDV: Dutch architecture firm with comparable mixed-use, residential, and cultural project portfolio; relevant peer for modular and densification-focused housing work.
• HPP Architects: Düsseldorf-headquartered architecture firm with comparable scope across cultural, healthcare, and public buildings in DACH; overlaps with Holzer Kobler in exhibition-adjacent cultural projects and urban mixed-use developments.
• Studio Gang: Design practice known for cultural and civic architecture with strong sustainability and material-innovation focus; parallels Holzer Kobler's timber/modular expertise and museum work.
• Atelier Brückner: German exhibition and scenography design firm; the closest direct competitor in museum/exhibition design with similar integrated spatial narrative and graphic-design approach.
• gmp Architekten: German architecture practice with strong cultural, public, and transportation infrastructure portfolio; competes with Holzer Kobler in public competitions and museum/cultural commissions across Germany.
• David Chipperfield Architects: Internationally active practice renowned for cultural and museum architecture (e.g., Neues Museum Berlin); directly comparable in high-end exhibition and cultural-heritage commissions across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Herzog & de Meuron: Swiss-founded global architecture firm with deep cultural and museum expertise; directly comparable Swiss/German peer for high-prestige cultural and exhibition commissions.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: Global architecture practice with broad cultural, civic, and residential portfolio; competes for major cultural and public commissions in the same awards circuit (WAF, iF, Dezeen).

Emerging players

• Facts & Fiction: European experience and exhibition design agency; comparable in scenography, brand-space, and cultural installations, with overlap on projects like Humboldt Forum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/holzerkobler

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Holzer Kobler Architectures