Atelier 5, Architekten und Planer, Aktiengesellschaft

What Atelier 5, Architekten und Planer, Aktiengesellschaft does

Atelier 5, Architekten und Planer, Aktiengesellschaft is a privately held Swiss architecture and urban planning firm founded in 1955 and headquartered in Bern. The firm operates as a flat-hierarchy Aktiengesellschaft under Swiss law, with all partners holding equal status, compensation, and liability, and with mandatory partner retirement at age 65 to ensure generational renewal. Atelier 5 serves public-sector clients (federal BBL, Kanton Bern, City of Bern, universities), major financial and corporate clients (historically Crédit Suisse, Hypovereinsbank Luxembourg, Swisscom, AXA), housing cooperatives (WOGENO), and real estate developers (Ernst Göhner AG, Losinger Marazzi, Swiss Prime Site).

The firm generates revenue through fee-for-service architectural design, urban planning, and landscape architecture services, structured as percentages of construction cost or fixed fees. Projects are acquired almost exclusively through architectural competitions (open and invited) and direct commissions from returning institutional clients; the firm holds additional property development interests through AFIA (Aktiengesellschaft für Immobilien-Anlagen). The practice's underlying technology stack is conventional — VectorWorks for 2D/3D CAD, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft Office — supplemented by specialized know-how in daylighting systems developed with lighting engineer Christian Bartenbach, timber-hybrid construction (notably Bern 131 in 2023), and CO2-optimized concrete. Atelier 5's core technical differentiator is its dialogic design process, in which every project is developed by two partners and reviewed by the full partnership, a methodology credited with sustaining design quality across 70 years.

The firm's competitive position rests on landmark project equity (Siedlung Halen 1961, Kunstmuseum Bern 1983), a strong publication record (Birkhäuser, Phaidon, Werk, Hochparterre), and a durable pipeline of public-sector competition wins. Operational geographies span Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Vatican City, with international work concentrated in housing cooperatives and government commissions. Recent recognition includes the inaugural Reflect Architecture Award (REAR, 2026), Vectorworks' Signature Project designation (Bern 131, 2023), the Ehrenpreis für guten Wohnungsbau from the City of Munich (2023), and Watt d'Or 2019 for the Erlenmatt Ost energy-efficient district. The firm currently operates with approximately 10 employees — significantly below its 75-employee 1970s-80s peak — reflecting a deliberate move to a focused partnership model.

Name

Atelier 5, Architekten und Planer, Aktiengesellschaft

Legal name

Atelier 5 Architektur und Planung AG

Website

https://atelier5.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atelier 5 is a 70-year-old Swiss architecture and urban planning firm headquartered in Bern, serving government, institutional, banking, and housing cooperative clients through fee-for-service design commissions acquired primarily via architectural competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design & Planning Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Interior Fit-Out (Multi-Family & High-End) (IMAFANAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban planning services
• Landscape architecture
• Public building design
• Sustainable construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

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. Architectural Design and Planning Services: Atelier 5 generates revenue through fees for architectural design, urban planning, and landscape architecture services. Projects range from residential settlements and public buildings to commercial and institutional commissions. Revenue is project-based, typically structured as percentage of construction cost or fixed fees for studies and competitions. The firm also holds interests through AFIA (Aktiengesellschaft für Immobilien-Anlagen), a financing vehicle for developing the firm's own residential projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Atelier 5 is a Swiss architectural firm that provides integrated architectural design, urban planning, and landscape architecture services. Founded in 1955 in Bern and structured as an Aktiengesellschaft (AG), the firm delivers design solutions for residential, commercial, and public building projects, with particular emphasis on contextual ensemble architecture, structural daylighting systems, and sustainable construction methods. Services span architectural competitions, feasibility studies, comprehensive building projects, and long-term client partnerships across public, corporate, and cooperative housing sectors.

Product overview

Atelier 5 Architektur und Planung AG is a traditional architecture and planning firm offering a unified portfolio of architectural services, not a software platform. The core offering consists of architectural design and urban planning services, delivered through distinct but interconnected service lines: Projekte (completed projects), Wettbewerbe (competitions), Studien (studies), and Dienstleistungen (services). The firm also publishes a comprehensive Werkverzeichnis (project catalog) documenting their portfolio. Notable projects include the Siedlung Halen (1961), Kunstmuseum Bern (1983), various residential settlements across Switzerland and Germany, and recent projects like Bern 131. The firm operates from Bern and has a 70-year history dating back to 1955.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architektur und Planung (Architecture and Planning Services) Comprehensive architectural and planning service covering design, urban planning, and landscape architecture for residential, commercial, and public sector clients.
• Architekturwettbewerbe (Architectural Competitions) Participation in invited and open architectural competitions for public and private clients to win commissions for building projects.
• Studien und Machbarkeitsanalysen (Studies and Feasibility Analyses) Analytical and feasibility study services for clients evaluating potential building, urban, or landscape architecture projects.
• Werkverzeichnis (Project Catalogue and Documentation) Comprehensive digital project catalogue documenting the firm's portfolio of completed architectural and planning works.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kunstmuseum Bern completed at 15 million CHF vs. 107 million CHF (equivalent James Stirling project in Stuttgart)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Losinger Marazzi / Swiss Prime SitecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Losinger Marazzi (contractor/developer) and Swiss Prime Site (developer/owner) partnered with Atelier 5 on the Bern 131 project at Stauffacherstrasse 131, Bern. Losinger Marazzi was the contractor while Swiss Prime Site was the building owner. The project was selected as a Vectorworks 'Signature Project' 2023 and is a flagship wood-hybrid commercial building in the WankdorfCity district.
• HänggiBasler LandschaftsarchitekturcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtelier 5 collaborated with HänggiBasler Landschaftsarchitektur on the outdoor areas (Aussenanlagen) of Volksschule Baumgarten in Bern. HänggiBasler designed the landscape architecture including complex precast concrete elements for the two schoolyards that serve as recreational spaces and terracing.
• AXAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtelier 5 was commissioned by AXA for the 'AXA Wohnen 2.0' project — converting an existing office property at Nussbaumstrasse into flexible, innovative residential space. Atelier 5 convinced the client with a flexible and innovative residential offering.
• Genossenschaft WOGENOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtelier 5 and housing cooperative WOGENO collaborated on multiple projects including Genossenschaftliches Wohnen at Prinz-Eugen-Park Munich (Baufeld WA 11, awarded the Ehrenpreis 2023) and at Teilsrain, Steinebach am Wörthsee (2021, 2nd prize). WOGENO commissioned Atelier 5 through competitive processes for cooperative housing developments.
• Eidgenössisches Finanzdepartement / Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik (BBL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Swiss Federal Department of Finance (EFD), through the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (BBL), commissioned Atelier 5 for the design of the new Swiss Embassy in the Vatican. This is a direct federal government commission representing a high-level client relationship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christ & Gantenbein: Basel-based Swiss architecture firm renowned for museum and cultural buildings (Kunstmuseum Basel extension, Liechtenstein National Museum). Comparable as a Swiss peer competing for the same institutional and museum commissions.
• Diener & Diener Architekten: Basel-based Swiss architecture firm with a strong residential and cultural-institutional portfolio and similar mid-size partnership structure. Closely comparable in scale, Swiss/German geographic focus, and competition-led GTM.
• David Chipperfield Architects: European architecture firm with a comparable portfolio of cultural and institutional projects (Neues Museum Berlin, James-Simon-Galerie). Comparable in the museum and public-building niche where Atelier 5 has established credentials.
• Burkhalter Sumi Architekten: Zurich-based Swiss architecture firm with a residential and institutional portfolio and similar partnership structure. Comparable mid-size Swiss peer competing for residential settlements and cultural commissions.
• Max Dudler Architekt: Berlin/Zurich-based architecture firm active in German and Swiss institutional and residential architecture. Comparable geographic reach and competition-led GTM for cultural and public commissions.
• EM2N Architekten: Zurich-based Swiss architecture firm with comparable residential, cultural, and urban-planning portfolio and similar firm size. Directly comparable as a Swiss mid-size peer in the same competition pool.
• Peter Zumthor: Swiss architect renowned for cultural buildings (Therme Vals, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bruder Klaus Field Chapel) with a comparable Swiss-German footprint. Highly relevant as a Swiss cultural-architecture peer competing for the same prestige institutional commissions.
• Herzog & de Meuron: Swiss architecture firm based in Basel with comparable cultural-institutional portfolio (Tate Modern, Elbphilharmonie, de Young Museum) and a similar Swiss-German reputational foundation. Directly comparable as a Swiss peer competing for the same institutional and residential commissions.

Broad incumbents

• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Large international architecture firm with residential and cultural projects across Europe. Comparable as a competitor for international cultural and residential commissions, though much larger and operating across a broader range of building types.
• Snøhetta: Large international architecture and design firm with a broad portfolio spanning cultural, public, and residential projects. Comparable as a competitor for major international cultural commissions, though substantially larger and more diversified than Atelier 5.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atelier-5-architekten-und-planer-aktiengesellschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Atelier 5, Architekten und Planer, Aktiengesellschaft