ArtEngineering – Engineering services for art
Interview by DETAIL Structure with Herwig Bretis
Herwig Bretis is a civil engineer and owner of ArtEngineering GmbH, which was founded by Switbert Greiner in 2005. In addition to the calculation of lightweight metal structures, glass and membrane structures, the planning and realization of design and art objects is one of the company’s core activities.
Detail: You work at the interface between construction and art. How did this come about?
Bretis: ArtEngineering was founded by Switbert Greiner. After studying civil engineering, he wrote his doctoral thesis at Frei Otto’s Institute and then worked as a freelancer at Schlaich, Bergermann & Partner, Frei Otto’s Institute for Lightweight Structures and at SL-Rasch – until founding his own engineering firm. After a phase in which he worked on more conventional constructions and lightweight structures and art objects, he came into contact with Olafur Eliasson a good 15 years ago, and it was only then that art projects became a particular focus of his work. In 2004, when I was already an employee myself, we worked on Eliasson’s “Chandeliers” in the Copenhagen Opera House (Fig. A- C) and then decided not only to work on the structural design for larger works of art, but also to offer the entire realization. Since ArtEngineering GmbH was founded in 2005, we have been providing not only engineering services but also the realization of art objects. After a two-year phase as Managing Director, I was able to take over the company completely at the end of 2014. ArtEngineering’s entire strategy, way of thinking and way of working is still strongly influenced by its founder, Switbert Greiner, and the Stuttgart School of Engineering.
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