Steiner Sarnen Schweiz Ag

What Steiner Sarnen Schweiz Ag does

Steiner Sarnen Schweiz AG is a Swiss scenography and experience design studio founded around 1990 in Sarnen, Switzerland, by Otto Steiner. The firm develops and realizes unique spatial experiences across three core service lines: brandlands and brand experiences (e.g., SBB Headquarters, Omega Museum, Feldschlösschen Brewery), museum experience design (e.g., Glasi Hergiswil, Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen, Vogelwarte Sempach), and tourism destination positioning and master planning (e.g., Pilatus, Jungfraujoch, Engadin St. Moritz). Its methodology combines positioning, storytelling, design, visitor-flow management, architecture, and scenography, delivered through a structured phase plan from vision to implementation.

The firm operates with a multi-disciplinary team of approximately 20 people, drawing on scenographers, architects, designers, project managers, and curators, and delivers projects directly to enterprise clients without reseller or marketplace channels. Engagement economics are project-based with custom pricing — the firm states 'project size is secondary; the passion of people behind the project is more important' — and contracts typically span multiple years for destination-scale programs. Auxiliaries include AI-assisted creative tooling (ChatGPT, MidJourney, DALL-E, etc.) that support, but do not replace, human design output.

Steiner Sarnen sells its services on a direct, sales-led basis through enterprise relationships with Swiss tourism operators, museums, government bodies, and brand owners. Over nearly 35 years, the firm has delivered more than 400 projects reaching over 50 million visitors and has accumulated an award portfolio spanning Red Dot, European Museum of the Year, Golden Milestone (Swiss Tourism Award), XAVER, and Best of Swiss Web. The legal entity is a privately held Swiss Aktiengesellschaft (AG); no external investors, M&A, or public listing activity is disclosed.

Name

Steiner Sarnen Schweiz Ag

Legal name

Steiner Sarnen Schweiz AG

Website

https://steinersarnen.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steiner Sarnen Schweiz AG is a Swiss scenography and experience design studio (~20 people) that develops and realizes unique spatial experiences across brandlands, museums, and tourism destinations for enterprise and public-sector clients in Switzerland and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarnen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Experiential Design Services: Visionary services for developing and realizing unique spatial experiences. Projects range from small to large scale, with costs described as 'oftentimes expensive' but with open ears for every idea. Project size is secondary; the passion of people behind the project is more important.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Steiner Sarnen Schweiz AG develops and realizes unique experiential spaces (Erlebnisräume) for enterprise clients across three core areas: Brand Experiences (Brandlands), Museum Experiences, and Tourism Destination Experiences. The studio combines positioning, storytelling, design, visitor flow management, architecture, and scenography to deliver visitor-centered spatial experiences from initial concept through to implementation. Services span vision development, conceptual design, planning, and realization along a transparent, phase-based process (Phasenplan).

Product overview

Steiner Sarnen Schweiz AG is an experience design studio that develops and realizes unique spatial experiences across three main service areas: Brandland/Brand Experience Design (creating home environments for brands), Museum Experience Design (transforming museums into innovative visitor destinations), and Tourism Destination Experience (positioning and enhancing tourism offerings). Their core methodology combines scenography, storytelling, design, visitor flow management, and architecture. They work from initial concept through to implementation, offering services along the entire project lifecycle including vision development, conceptual design, planning, and realization. The company has completed over 400 projects reaching more than 50 million people, with a portfolio spanning museums, visitor centers, exhibition spaces, themed trails, escape rooms, and tourism infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brandland / Brand Experience Design Development and construction of impressive brand experiences through unique story-driven spatial design that transforms visitors into brand ambassadors. Delivered for enterprise brand owners across consumer goods, beverages, retail, and corporate sectors.
• Museum Experience Design Creation of new museum formats with pioneering approaches to transform traditional institutions into public magnets (Publikumsmagnete). Delivered for museums, cultural institutions, visitor centers, and conservation organizations.
• Tourism Destination Experience

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ million people reached with their projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 minor.

• Tamschick Media+SpaceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration partner on Jungfraujoch Gesamterlebnis project (2012). Provided media and spatial expertise for the 1500m2 experience including 360° cinema.
• Steiger+Graber, LuzernminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture partner for Pilatus Masterplan (2008). Collaborated on mountain destination optimization and redesign.
• Audi/SchmidhuberminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInterior Architecture partner for Quattro Bar St. Moritz (2013). Provided interior design expertise for the Red Dot Award-winning project.
• ScreenprominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration on Appenzeller Alpenbitter World of Herbs project (2021). CommAward 2021 Bronze winner.
• Daniel DesboroughminorOthersPhotography copyright holder for multiple projects including St. Moritz and Trauttmansdorff Castle projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Local Projects: New York-based experience design studio focused on museums, public spaces, and brand environments. Directly comparable in its blend of storytelling, scenography, and interactive spatial design for cultural and enterprise clients.
• Tellart: Providence/LA-based experience design firm. Comparable as a multidisciplinary studio creating narrative brand experiences, museum installations, and scenography-driven projects for global enterprise clients.
• Tamschick Media+Space: Berlin-based media and spatial experience studio. Directly comparable scenography and immersive design practice; notably a documented collaboration partner of Steiner Sarnen on the Jungfraujoch project.
• Atelier Brückner: Stuttgart-based scenography and exhibition design studio. One of the closest direct comparables to Steiner Sarnen — same core competency in narrative-driven spatial experiences for museums, brands, and Expos, with a comparable award-winning reputation in European museum design.
• Universal Design Studio: London-based design firm spanning architecture, interiors, and brand experience. Comparable as a studio blending spatial design, scenography, and narrative environments for cultural and enterprise clients.
• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: US- and London-based museum and exhibition design practice. Comparable as a long-established scenography studio specializing in visitor-centered narrative environments for cultural institutions and brand experiences globally.
• Holzer Kobler Architekturen: Swiss/German architecture and exhibition design firm with offices in Zurich and Berlin. Highly comparable to Steiner Sarnen — scenography and brand experience design across museums, trade fairs, and corporate clients, with international award recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: Internationally established architecture and design practice with a significant experiential and cultural-institution portfolio. Represents the larger, broader incumbent that competes for premium museum and tourism commissions where Steiner Sarnen also bids.
• MVRDV: Dutch architecture firm with an expanding portfolio of experiential, cultural, and public-space projects. Larger, broader incumbent competing for the same enterprise and cultural-institution RFPs as Steiner Sarnen.

Emerging players

• Studio Drift: Amsterdam-based experiential studio working at the intersection of art, design, and technology. Comparable in its scenographic and immersive-installation approach for museums and brand experiences, though at smaller scale and more art-leaning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwRwmzx1HLO9hRotH9S9WEA/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steiner-sarnen-schweiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/steinersarnenschweiz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Steiner Sarnen Schweiz Ag