element design

What element design does

element design gmbh is a Basel-based scenography and exhibition design studio founded in 1994 that creates museum, tourism, and spatial experience projects for cultural institutions and public-sector clients. The firm designs permanent and temporary exhibitions, cross-media storytelling installations, landscape scenography for tourism destinations, and heritage site interpretations, and has completed more than 70 projects across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Latvia, and Taiwan. Its core offerings combine narrative development, spatial design, and participatory frameworks, with recurring projects leveraging digital media and interactive installations via long-standing partners such as iart and architecture firms including David Chipperfield Architects and Buchner Bründler.

The studio operates as a professional services firm, recognized for repeatedly winning competitive design tenders (Wettbewerbe) in the Swiss museum market, including first-place finishes at the Literaturmuseum der Moderne Marbach and the Musée des Beaux-Arts Reims (with David Chipperfield Architects), and the cross-media Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz 'Codes der Macht' project. Its revenue model is project-based custom commissions won through competitive bidding and direct invitations, with no public pricing or software products. Go-to-market is sales-led, supported by a portfolio website, blog, Instagram presence, and active participation in the Swiss scenography community (HELGA), with research collaborations with institutions such as Hochschule Luzern and Fondation Beyeler contributing to thought leadership.

The firm is a privately held GmbH led by Roger Aeschbach as the registered authorized representative, with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding rounds. The capital structure is bootstrapped and founder-managed, with a headcount in the 11–50 range. Strategic priorities evidenced in the project portfolio include diversification into infrastructure clients (BKW Energie AG TRAFO project), tourism/landscape scenography (Millstätter See biwaks), and research-driven innovations in audience engagement (Audience+ Story, Museum & ME), while maintaining a core focus on Swiss and European museum commissions.

Name

element design

Legal name

element design gmbh

Website

https://www.elementdesign.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

element design is a Basel-based scenography and exhibition design studio founded in 1994 that designs permanent and temporary museum exhibitions, cross-media storytelling installations, and landscape scenography for cultural institutions, tourism projects, and public-sector clients across Switzerland and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Exhibition Design and Scenography Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA), Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Museum exhibition design
• Scenography services
• Cross-media storytelling
• Heritage site interpretation
• Landscape scenography

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Design Services: Professional services revenue from designing and implementing exhibitions, museum permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, and spatial installations for cultural institutions, museums, and public sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

element design is a Swiss scenography and exhibition design studio that designs and implements permanent and temporary museum exhibitions, cross-media storytelling installations, landscape scenography for tourism destinations, and heritage site interpretations for cultural institutions. The firm provides end-to-end exhibition design services — from concept development and narrative design through spatial scenography and integration of interactive/digital media — for museums, public sector clients, and tourism projects across Switzerland and internationally.

Product overview

element design & scenography is a Swiss museum and exhibition design studio offering comprehensive services in exhibition design, scenography, and experience design. The company's core offering consists of museum exhibition design services (permanent and temporary exhibitions), cross-media storytelling projects that blend physical and digital experiences, landscape scenography for tourism destinations, heritage site interpretation design, and competition submissions for cultural institutions. The company works with museums, historical sites, public spaces, and tourism destinations across Switzerland and internationally, providing services including spatial design, narrative development, interactive installations, and visitor experience planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibition Design Services End-to-end exhibition design services for permanent and temporary museum exhibitions, including narrative development, spatial scenography, visitor experience planning, and coordination with architectural and technology partners. Targeted at museums, historical institutions, and cultural foundations.
• Cross-Media Storytelling Services Development of transmedia storytelling projects connecting physical exhibition spaces with digital platforms, social media, and interactive media campaigns. Delivered for cultural institutions seeking to extend exhibitions beyond gallery walls.
• Landscape Scenography Services Design of landscape-based experiences including theme paths, outdoor installations, trekking cabins, and environmental storytelling for tourism destinations and nature parks. Targeted at regional tourism boards and nature conservation agencies.
• Heritage Site Design Services Context-sensitive exhibition design and interpretation services for historical sites, monuments, and cultural heritage locations, including coordination with heritage protection authorities (Heimatschutz). Targeted at utilities and operators needing design integration into heritage-sensitive landscapes.
• Design Competition Services Preparation and submission of architectural and exhibition design competition entries for museums, public institutions, and national pavilions. Targeted at cultural institutions and government bodies issuing competitive tenders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Swiss Pavilion EXPO 2010 Shanghai won iF communication design award Gold and red dot communication design award
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• David Chipperfield ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration on museum exhibition projects including Musée des Beaux-Arts Reims (completed 2016) and Literaturmuseum der Moderne Marbach (competition 1st place). Element design provides scenography while David Chipperfield provides architectural shell.
• iartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular collaboration partner for interactive and digital exhibition elements. Projects include Museum für Kommunikation Bern ('As Time Goes Byte', 'nah und fern', 'Wohnzimmer der Zukunft'), Museum zu Allerheiligen Schaffhausen, and Literaturmuseum der Moderne Marbach.
• Buchner Bründler ArchitektenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Swiss Pavilion EXPO 2010 Shanghai, winning iF Gold and red dot awards. Element design handled communication design while Buchner Bründler provided architecture.
• Tillner & WillingerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaboration on EXPO2027 Bodensee Oberschweiz competition and Erlebnisraum Klopeiner See project.
• Stücheli ArchitektenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on competition for Taichung Fine Arts Museum and Public Library, Taiwan, advancing to second round among hundreds of international competitors.
• Seiler & SeilerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on EXPO2027 Bodensee Oberschweiz competition entry with raumplan wirz and Hochschule Rapperswil.
• raumplan wirzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of team for EXPO2027 Bodensee competition.
• Hochschule Rapperswil (HSR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of EXPO2027 Bodensee competition team.
• FOCUS Karin RütscheminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Museum Aargau exhibitions ('immerschnellerbessermehr') and Museum BL permanent exhibition 'leibundleben'.
• Müller+HessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Universität Basel temporary exhibition 'Perlon, Petticoats und Pestizide'.
• Elisabeth SprengerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Blaise Cendrars temporary exhibition at Museum Strauhof Zürich.
• Meissner & MangoldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Museum Aargau exhibitions 'Geld bewegt die Welt' and 'Revolution durch Information'.
• vista pointminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Spielzeugmuseum Riehen temporary exhibition 'Roboter, Faszination in der Spielzeugwelt'.
• BKW Energie AGminorOthersClient for TRAFO project - landscape integration design for transformer station near Schloss Hinter-Bleichenberg, featuring camouflage design referencing Jura landscape.
• Philipp Kummli / SoliograffminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraffiti artist collaboration on TRAFO project execution, translating landscape integration concept into painted surface design.
• Hochschule Luzern (HSLU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on Audience+ Story project exploring social media integration with museum exhibitions, in partnership with Fondation Beyeler.
• Stiftung Schweizer MuseumspassminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Museum & ME project enabling young adults to share stories about Swiss museums.
• Schule für Gestaltung BaselminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner on Museum & ME project.
• Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum MainzcoreOthersClient for cross-media storytelling project 'Codes der Macht' examining power symbolism through archaeology, won 1st place in competition 2015.
• Latvia Nature Conservation AgencyminorOthersClient for Amber Road Trekking Cabins architecture competition in Latvia.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Atelier Brückner: Stuttgart-based scenography and exhibition design studio widely regarded as a European leader in museum and brand-space scenography. Closely comparable to element design in service offering (scenography, exhibition design, cross-media storytelling) and target clients (cultural institutions, museums, public spaces), but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Tinker Imagineers: Dutch experience design firm specializing in museums, theme parks, and visitor attractions across Europe and Asia. Directly comparable in combining exhibition/scenography design with narrative and interactive storytelling for cultural and tourism clients.
• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: London/New York-headquartered museum and exhibition design firm with a global portfolio of permanent exhibitions for major institutions. Comparable in target market (large museums, cultural institutions, visitor centers) and competition-led go-to-market; larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Casson Mann: London-based exhibition and museum design studio with deep experience in permanent galleries, cultural institutions, and immersive visitor experiences. Closely comparable to element design in service mix and project scale, especially for European museum clients.
• Local Projects: New York-based experience design firm known for museum and cultural institution projects blending digital interaction, narrative, and spatial design. Comparable to element design in cross-media storytelling orientation and emphasis on participatory/visitor-generated content.
• meiré und meiré: Cologne-based scenography and brand-space design agency working across museums, exhibitions, and corporate spaces. Comparable to element design in scenographic approach and cultural-institution client base, though with a stronger commercial/brand-space tilt.
• Reich+Petch Design: Toronto-based interdisciplinary design firm focused on museums, exhibitions, and visitor experiences. Comparable to element design in cultural-institution focus and integrated approach to spatial and interpretive design.
• Land Design Studio: Charlotte, NC-based exhibit design firm specializing in museums, visitor centers, and interpretive environments. Comparable to element design in project type and competition-led museum work; geographically complementary rather than directly competing.
• Mather & Co: UK-based interpretive design firm producing exhibitions for museums, heritage sites, and visitor attractions. Comparable to element design in scenography, exhibition design, and competition-led tendering for cultural institutions across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Staab Architekten: Berlin-based architecture firm with a substantial museum and cultural-building portfolio (e.g., Museum Neanderthal, Humboldt Forum contributions). Comparable as a museum-project counterparty whose work intersects with element design's scenography scope, but operates as an architectural practice rather than a scenography specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/element

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 element design