Interview with Ramon Spaeti - Head of Creativity

The Creative Box is a unique innovation and creative laboratory in the mountain resort of Pontresina. What makes this place so special - both for creative processes and for team retreats or as a meeting place for locals?
 

Pontresina is like catching your breath amidst the hustle and bustle - a place that slows things down without losing momentum. Up here in the mountains, there is no sensory overload, no flashing distractions, but a clear, almost purist atmosphere that focuses on the essentials. This makes the Creative Box a place of power for creative processes: You can focus, immerse yourself deeply and create something truly new.

Who are your guests?

 

The fascinating thing about the Creative Box is its diversity - it attracts a wide variety of people like a magnet! Children are wide-eyed with amazement, teachers discover new ways of doing things, tourists take a piece of Alpine creativity home with them. What's particularly nice is that the locals from the Upper Engadin keep coming back, aswell.

Which workshop experience or encounter in the Creative Box has particularly inspired you personally? Can you tell a short story that shows what is possible here?

There are quite a few moments that got me. One highlight was an adult participant - she came in, somewhat hesitantly, and immediately said: “I'm not creative at all, this won't work.” But after a few hours, she was transformed: She was crafting, laughing, experimenting and didn't want to leave at all. But I think the best moments are when families come together - like the other day when a father started a small woodworking project with his son. The two of them spurred each other on, exchanged ideas and ended up creating something they were both proud of.

The Hotel Maistra and its philosophy stand for quality, craftsmanship, regionality and sustainability. How important are these aspects in your workshops?

These values are not just buzzwords for me, but the heartbeat of my work - just like for everyone here at the Maistra. Quality means that every piece has a hand and foot, craftsmanship is evident in the care with which we work, and I live regionality through the connection to the environment, be it through materials or stories. Sustainability? The word is often worn out these days, but for me everything falls under the heading of “responsibility”: responsibility towards resources, people and the region. You can feel this in my workshops - it's not about quick effects, but about lasting values.

Design thinking and creative methods are often part of large companies' innovation processes. Why should companies hold their next corporate workshop or team building event here with you, at Maistra 160?

Because everything that innovation needs comes together here: an environment that clears the mind and a setup that unleashes creativity. The mountains inspire, the atmosphere is relaxed - and my methods from design thinking and industrial design give the necessary boost to not only think ideas, but to bring them to life. It's much more about experiences.

As an industrial designer and former university lecturer, you have many opportunities to work creatively. What made you choose a “Creative Box” in the mountains as a place to work?

As an industrial designer, I am constantly searching for the undiscovered, and the Creative Box in Maistra 160 is like a living project for me: a space that I design, that challenges me and at the same time gives me freedom.

For me, the Creative Box is a small universe - a place where creativity breathes, people meet and something magical is created.

Thank you Ramon, for the exciting exchange!

_{The conversation took place between Friederike Reich and Ramon Spaeti in February 2025.}