Walter Kretz – Schanzenpost (1971)
Walter Kretz’s work combines artistic form with architectural context, creating a precise spatial intervention.
About the artwork
Key facts
Walter Kretz
Schanzenpost, 1971
Concrete, 950 × 500 cm
Swiss Post Branch, 3000 Bern 1, PostParc
Description of the artwork
In 1971, Walter Kretz designed a monumental concrete cast, which marks the PostBus passenger bus station at the so-called Schanzenpost in Bern. The three-dimensional work takes up the entire front wall of a nurse’s home belonging to the Burgergemeinde Bern (civic community). Six concrete joints appear to emerge from the building’s interior, countering the sober, static structure with a dynamic element. Looking like arrows indicating the route of a PostBus ride, their implicit movement suits this bustling traffic zone.
The PTT Building Construction Department had announced an open competition for the Schanzenpost, for which a total of 34 artists from the Bern region submitted their proposals. The submissions were evaluated anonymously, and six of them were awarded. In the 1970s, Kretz’s sculpture was bordered by green landscaping, but a redesign of the square had a negative impact on the artwork in its setting: today, two unadorned benches are mounted in front of it, and the greenery has disappeared. This new situation animated the graffiti scene to make its own mark on the work. Later, the possibilities of restoration were explored as part of a research project commissioned by the Swiss Post and conducted by the Conservation and Restoration Division at Bern Academy of the Arts. However, the future of the work is uncertain due to the redevelopment of the station area and construction measures planned by the Burgergemeinde.
About the person
Walter Kretz
Walter Kretz (1942, Steckborn) has left his mark on the public space of Bern with his works. They are often playful and humorous, as evidenced by his sculptures Schrein (1979/80) at the Marzili outdoor swimming pool and Sackma (1983) on the banks of the Aare River. Trained as a stone sculptor, he began working mainly with concrete starting in 1968. In contrast to architecture, concrete was not a popular material in art at that time; instead, colourfulness and synthetic materials were in vogue. But Kretz also made use of synthetic materials, for instance, working with foamed polystyrene formwork for his concrete casting. Remains of the polystyrene can still be found on the sculpture, as well as the artist’s footprints and imprints of a basin. These testify to Kretz’s appreciation of concrete as an accessible, hands-on material he could work with on his own. Once his sculptures were complete, Kretz often made drawings and prints of them. His late work, in contrast, comprises mainly painting and poetry. (JI)
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