Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen

What Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen does

Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen is a Swiss non-profit foundation (Stiftung) that operates a cross-disciplinary cultural center in a converted 1903–1911 locomotive depot in St.Gallen, Switzerland. The foundation, established in 2010 following a public referendum and renovation, manages the venue on behalf of Kanton St.Gallen, which owns the heritage-listed building. The Stiftung operates daily from 10:00–23:00 and functions as a multi-tenant platform that coordinates four anchor cultural operators under one roof: Kinok (the largest art-house cinema in Eastern Switzerland, programming 280+ films and ~1,000 screenings annually), Theater productions staged as the experimental offshoot venue of Konzert und Theater St.Gallen (delivering ~480 events/year and up to 170,000 attendees across its full portfolio), the LOK by Kunstmuseum St.Gallen contemporary art exhibition zone (free admission), and Brasserie LOK, a French restaurant operated by independent gastronomes. Governance is interlocking: each anchor institution's director sits on the Stiftung Lokremise Foundation Council.

The venue uses a Haus-im-Haus (house-within-house) architectural concept with three interior cubes creating four distinct zones — two theaters, an art/performance zone, and a general zone with entrance and restaurant. Beyond the anchor tenants, the foundation generates revenue through venue rental (Theatersaal 1 & 2, Kunstzone, Kinosaal, meeting rooms, outdoor areas), guided tours (CHF 140 per group of up to 25), space-adaptive guest events, and gift vouchers (CHF 10 denomination, redeemable across all venues). Pricing is transaction-based: theater tickets at CHF 30 regular / CHF 35 premiere, cinema tickets CHF 12–17 depending on audience category, and differentiated rates for cultural vs. private event rentals. The core Stiftung staff is lean (1–10 employees), with operations supported by a board of trustees comprising cultural directors, public-sector representatives from the city and canton cultural offices, and a law professional.

The business model is a mix of earned revenue (ticketing, restaurant, rentals) and public/private sponsorship (St.Galler Kantonalbank, Raiffeisen, Migros Kulturprozent, UBS Kulturstiftung, Metrohm Stiftung, Helvetia, plus municipal contributions). The foundation is classified as financially self-sustaining (finanziell selbsttragende Stiftung) but does not publicly disclose revenue figures. Distribution is primarily regional (Eastern Switzerland), with a multi-channel digital presence (lokremise.ch, Facebook, Instagram, bimonthly LOKZeit newspaper, partner ticketing websites) supporting an otherwise walk-in and physically anchored audience model.

Name

Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen

Legal name

Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen

Website

https://lokremise.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen is a non-profit foundation operating a cross-disciplinary cultural center in a 1903–1911 locomotive depot in St.Gallen, Switzerland, housing art cinema, theater, contemporary art exhibitions, and a French restaurant for regional audiences and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Center Operations

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Cultural center operations
• Performing arts venue
• Art cinema programming
• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Event space rental

Headquarters

HQ city

St.Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Venue and Space Rental: The foundation rents out Theatersaal 1 & 2, Kunstzone (November–January), Kinosaal (mornings only), Sitzungszimmer Badhaus, and outdoor areas for cultural events, corporate functions, and private celebrations. Public cultural events receive discounted rental rates and are included in the Lokremise program agenda.
2. Cinema Ticket Sales (Kinok): Kinok operates as the largest art-house cinema in Eastern Switzerland within the Lokremise, selling tickets for over 280 films and approximately 1,000 screenings annually. Ticket pricing varies by audience category (normal, members, students, children, seniors, AHV recipients).
3. Restaurant Revenue (Brasserie LOK): The on-site French brasserie operated by Mehmet Daku, Samuel Vörös, and Marcel Walker generates revenue through lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch service. The restaurant also sells gift vouchers redeemable across all Lokremise institutions.
4. Gift Vouchers (Lok-Gutscheine): Gift vouchers styled as vintage train tickets are sold in CHF 10 denominations and can be redeemed at the Kunstmuseum, Kinok, the restaurant, and for theater tickets. Physical vouchers are mailed upon order and invoice.
5. Art Museum Admissions (LOK by Kunstmuseum): The Kunstmuseum St.Gallen operates a dedicated art zone within the Lokremise featuring contemporary art exhibitions. Entry to the LOK art zone is free of charge, supported by public funding.
6. Guided Tours: Approximately 45-minute guided tours of the Lokremise covering the history, architecture, and operational areas of the former locomotive depot are offered to groups of up to 25 persons for a flat fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen operates a multi-disciplinary cultural center inside a converted 1903–1911 locomotive depot, housing four co-located operators: Kinok (the largest art-house cinema in Eastern Switzerland with 280+ films and ~1,000 screenings per year), a Theater zone used by Konzert und Theater St.Gallen for experimental performing arts, LOK by Kunstmuseum (a contemporary art exhibition zone with free admission), and Brasserie LOK (an on-site French restaurant). The foundation also offers space rental for events, guided tours, guest performances, and gift vouchers.

Product overview

Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen operates a multi-disciplinary cultural center in a former locomotive depot (1903), functioning as a platform-plus-venues architecture. The core offering comprises four main venues: Kinok (art cinema with over 280 annual films), Theater productions (dance, drama, music as external venue of Konzert und Theater St.Gallen), LOK by Kunstmuseum (contemporary art exhibitions with free admission), and Brasserie LOK (French gastronomy). Supporting services include space rental for events, guest performances, guided tours, and gift vouchers. The foundation coordinates all cultural and gastronomic operations within the heritage building, with the Canton of St.Gallen as property owner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kinok Cinema Art-house cinema program with over 280 films and approximately 1,000 screenings annually, including new releases, classics, silent films with live music, retrospectives, and an open-air summer series. Open to local residents and visitors to St.Gallen.
• Theater Performances (Lokremise) Theater and dance performances hosted as the external experimental venue of Konzert und Theater St.Gallen, programming drama, dance, concerts, and innovative formats. Premiere tickets at CHF 35, regular tickets at CHF 30.
• LOK by Kunstmuseum (Art Zone) Contemporary art exhibition space managed by Kunstmuseum St.Gallen, featuring large-scale, process-driven, cross-disciplinary contemporary artworks. Open November to January with free admission.
• Brasserie LOK On-site French brasserie operated by Mehmet Daku, Samuel Vörös, and Marcel Walker, serving lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Also offers gift vouchers redeemable across all Lokremise institutions.
• Venue and Space Rental (Vermietung) Rental of Theatersaal 1 & 2, Kunstzone, Kinosaal (mornings only), Sitzungszimmer Badhaus, and outdoor areas for cultural events, corporate functions, and private celebrations. Public cultural events receive priority booking and discounted rates.
• Guest Events (Gastveranstaltungen) External guest performances and event formats that use the historic Lokremise spaces to add cultural variety beyond the resident programming.
• Guided Tours Approximately 45-60 minute guided tours of the Lokremise covering history, architecture, and operational areas of the former locomotive depot for groups of up to 25 persons at CHF 140 flat rate; private art tours CHF 180 (Tue-Fri) or CHF 220 (Sat-Sun).
• Gift Vouchers (Lok-Gutscheine) Gift vouchers styled as vintage train tickets, sold in CHF 10 denominations, redeemable at Kunstmuseum, Kinok, the Brasserie LOK restaurant, and for theater tickets. Physical vouchers are mailed with invoice upon order.

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Konzert und Theater St.GallencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonzert und Theater St.Gallen is the only three-division performing arts house in Eastern Switzerland (Opera, Drama/Schauspiel, Dance/Tanz, Musical, Children's/Youth Theatre). It uses the Lokremise as its experimental offshoot venue for innovative formats where boundaries between stage and audience dissolve. Approximately 480 events per year reach up to 170,000 attendees. Jan Henric Bogen, Director of Konzert und Theater St.Gallen, serves on the Stiftung Lokremise Foundation Council.
• Kunstmuseum St.GallencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKunstmuseum St.Gallen operates the LOK by Kunstmuseum art zone within the Lokremise, featuring large-scale contemporary art exhibitions in an industrial atmosphere. Exhibitions are free to enter and run on a seasonal schedule (closed November–January). The LOK also houses the John Armleder mirror bar and the Christoph Büchel 'House of Friction' installation in the Wasserturm. Gianni Jetzer, Director of Kunstmuseum St.Gallen, serves on the Stiftung Lokremise Foundation Council.
• Verein KinokcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerein Kinok (Kinok Cinema Association) operates the largest art-house cinema in Eastern Switzerland from within the Lokremise, programming over 280 films and ~1,000 screenings annually. The cinema includes an open-air screening series during summer months. Sandra Meier, President of Verein Kinok, serves on the Stiftung Lokremise Foundation Council.
• Brasserie LOK (Mehmet Daku, Samuel Vörös, Marcel Walker)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrasserie LOK is the on-site French restaurant operated by Mehmet Daku, Samuel Vörös, and Marcel Walker. It serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, providing culinary services for cultural event attendees. Marcel Walker is a co-owner of the restaurant and serves on the Stiftung Lokremise Foundation Council, creating direct governance alignment between the gastronomy operation and the foundation.
• Kanton St.Gallen (Owner)coreOthersKanton St.Gallen is the owner of the heritage-listed Lokremise building. The Stiftung Lokremise manages day-to-day operations and ongoing maintenance, while the canton is responsible for major capital renovations and structural works (as stated in the foundation's charter).
• Alltag AgenturminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAlltag Agentur (alltag.ch) is credited as the design/creative partner for the Lokremise website and visual identity. Philipp Lämmlin, a consultant and owner of Alltag Agentur, also serves on the Stiftung Lokremise Foundation Council.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Kampnagel Hamburg: Independent performing arts center in a former factory in Hamburg, Germany, hosting contemporary dance, theater, concerts, and performance art. Comparable to the Lokremise through adaptive industrial reuse and multi-disciplinary programming mandate, though operating at a larger scale and outside Switzerland.
• Theaterhaus Stuttgart: Multi-venue performing arts and cultural center in Stuttgart, Germany, offering dance, theater, concerts, and visual arts across multiple halls. Closest German-language analog to the Lokremise's multi-zone venue model, though larger and German-based rather than Swiss.

Broad incumbents

• Kunsthaus Zürich: Major Swiss art museum in Zurich with a broad collection spanning Old Masters to contemporary art, including large-scale temporary exhibitions. Comparable to the LOK by Kunstmuseum St.Gallen art zone within the Lokremise, though Kunsthaus operates as a much larger standalone institution.

Direct peers

• Südpol Luzern: Performing arts center in Lucerne housed in a former industrial building, focused on contemporary dance, theater, and interdisciplinary performance. Comparable to the Lokremise's experimental dance and theater programming via Tanzkompanie St.Gallen and Konzert und Theater St.Gallen.
• Rote Fabrik Zürich: Former industrial building in Zurich converted into a multi-disciplinary cultural center hosting concerts, theater, cinema, dance, art exhibitions, and club nights. The most directly comparable Swiss cultural venue model to the Lokremise: heritage industrial architecture, multi-format programming, and combined cultural/gastronomic offering under one roof.
• Kaserne Basel: Former military barracks converted into a contemporary performing arts and cultural venue in Basel, hosting dance, theater, concerts, and club events. Comparable to the Lokremise through its adaptive reuse of a heritage structure for cross-disciplinary performing arts programming.
• Xenix Filmpodium Zürich: Arthouse cinema in Zurich offering curated independent, repertory, and festival programming. Comparable to Kinok as a Swiss art-house cinema operation serving cultural audiences with curated programming and special screening formats.
• Stadtkino Basel: Independent art-house cinema in Basel programming arthouse, independent, and repertory films — directly comparable to Kinok's 280+ films and ~1,000 screenings annually within the Lokremise. Both operate as association-based (verein) arthouse cinemas serving regional audiences.
• Kulturhaus Gessnerallee Zürich: Independent performing arts venue in Zurich offering contemporary dance, theater, and performance programming. Comparable as a Swiss independent performing arts venue operating an experimental/experimental-leaning programming mandate similar to Lokremise's role for Konzert und Theater St.Gallen.

Emerging players

• Cabaret Voltaire Zürich: Alternative cultural and performance space in Zurich with a focus on interdisciplinary arts, music, and Dada heritage programming. Smaller-scale than Lokremise but comparable in its multi-disciplinary arts programming and heritage venue positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lokremise
• Instagraminstagram.com/lokremise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-lokremise-st.gallen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stiftung Lokremise St.Gallen