Renovation Begins!: EVERYTHING STILL MOVING FORWARD @ STUDIO 104 VALLE...

Renovation Begins!: EVERYTHING STILL MOVING FORWARD @ STUDIO 104 VALLE...: THE MEZZANINE STEEL BEAMS ARE IN!!! So whats been happening? We decided to buy the Steel Mezzanine beams from...... in Hal Zebbug, the guy...

EVERYTHING STILL MOVING FORWARD @ STUDIO 104 VALLETTA ...

THE MEZZANINE STEEL BEAMS ARE IN!!!

So whats been happening?

We decided to buy the Steel Mezzanine beams from...... in Hal Zebbug, the guys there seemed efficient and professional. The delivery had to be done separately as their truck was too big for any deliveries to Valletta.

The beams were painted with rust protection paint and inserted! HEAVY.

The wooden floor is basic but strong and has also been delivered. the carpenter is coming today to trim it to size.

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Met the Architect last week and discussed the preparation for new Gres tiled floor. 

The Minor Amendment permit has been (finally) submitted to MEPA for their approval. This should take about for weeks (from 23 Nov 2012) to be approved. This will allow us to hopefully dismantle inner wooden shop display and remove and replace all but the left section of the original wooden shop front.

We will of course replace with Replica Wooden shop Front. At this stage we will bring in the Printing Press.

I attended the Events & Urban Regeneration (V.18) on Monday 19th November with guest speaker Dr Andrew Smith from the University of Westminster.    

The V.18 seminary brought back memorise of Local Meetings for Turner Contemporary Margate, another Regeneration Program... the audience at V.18 was similarly split between local residents wanting Action in 'their Street Immediately" and the speakers of V.18, explaining how they wish to approach the Culture and 'people' in this project and that 'this' will bring long-term change  and benefit to Valletta.

I also attended the Europe 2020: From EU STRATEGIES TO LOCAL ACTION,Conference- held in a very nice Hotel, welcome drink, morning coffee break and light buffet lunch all included!

The conference put forward the topics and direction for the EU 2020 Funding Strategies. Topics were discussed and local funding was explained. The UK Speaker, Ingrid Gardiner, outlined how her role as ESF Effectiveness Manager and what strategies she looked at to gain funding. This presentation was insightful and highly informative but not always relevant to Malta Funding Applications and strategies. Her views on Evaluating projects, ran true to my experiences in the UK......evaluate and evaluate again. Here in Malta they seem less concerned with that and more concerned with breaking Down of 'red tape' when applying for funding. 

Lovely pi of Manoel Theatre here!!

I bought tickets fro the Pantomime this week.

ARCHITECTS SITE VISIT TODAY AT 2PM

Meeting the architect today at 2pm, this is to discuss works to date as I am due to fly to UK this Friday to look for LIGHTING SOLUTIONS & A CAR.

I will only travel if the builders have enough work to do other than starting the damp course and the floor whilst I am away. I just cannot miss the floors going down.

29 Nov 2012

The builder has agreed NOT to lay the damp course and the Concrete floor until I return from the UK. He has still to finish 'cleaning' and pointing all the walls and ceilings and will them start the sockets & lights which I have now marked out for him on the walls.

The Mezzanine is looking good and the whole atmosphere inside the Studio has changed now, it is uniform, clean, refined and ...welcoming?

The plumbing is all ready and the drainage as you know and so on my return we will start the floors and provisions (reinforced concrete) for the arrival of Studio Equipment.

The Architect said he "hoped to have the go-ahead on the Minor Amendment from Planning (MEPA) before Christmas." This would mean we can take down the wooden Interior display Cabinets and begin to Renovate the shop front and install the new Glass Shop Front alongside the Original Wooden Shop Front after the Christmas Holidays.

• Interior space from the shop front. 

Things are really moving......this is great! I just hope that leaving for my UK Car Buying Trip will not stop the flow of work.

Renovation Begins!: Renovation Begins!: Finally this week, this gem ...

WORK PROGRESSES AT STUDIO 104, VALLETTA

• Interior view of studio 104: Walls are scraped and cleaned in preparation for the Gypsum Boards that will 'line' all the walls up to a height of 10ft.

The walls and ceilings are pretty much scraped of all the old paint and falling plasterwork now.

The 'debate' this week and most of last week has been the new Lighting installation. As the ceilings are up to 16 ft height, and made of old Maltese stone, the fixing of the standard Tracker Lights too the ceiling would not be very functional. One I would not be able to adjust them very easily and two they would have quite some distance to travel to illuminate each exhibition.

We have been looking at alternatives...this is were it gets a wee bit technical and complicated. 

Options considered:

• Tracker systems on cable affixed to the arch side pillars
• Over head Flexi lead spots affixed to stone after the newly inserted gypsum boards
• Over head Flexi lead spots affixed to the upper , newly installed gypsum board
• We have even considered LED strip lighting affixed to the top of the newly installed gypsum boards
• And standard spot lights in the four corners of each section within the interior space.

All of the above are not great because they light the paintings & artworks from above and the flooding down over the artwork.

Ideally the exhibitions would be illuminated from in front of the artwork, onto it.

Alternative:

I had always intended to design and make a Contemporary Light Fitting for the front three sections of the studio. These were not focused on lighting each individual exhibition BUT alternative and decorative lighting.

Now it seems that the best solution to our lighting problems would be to design functional, adjustable lighting within the Contemporary Lighting features I am designing and 'backing this up' with wall mounted spotlights in each section of the studio space!!!! Great, NO PRESSURE!

Oh we even brought in a lighting specialist to advise and he has been great but it seems he agrees a central 'functional chandelier' would be best.

• I found this fluorescent strip mounted on the wall the other day! Ha my builder...the artist... eat your heart out Dan Flavin!

• Ryan (on the right) lighting specialist! With Kirt or 'talk:talk' as I call him.

The Plumbing is ready: Shower, toilet, sink & importantly two external, sinks in the back of the studio.

Today we are off to buy 4x 4.5 metre Steel Beams for the Mezzanine (storage) floor at the back of the studio......Yeeee

I will be back and update on the 'Lighting' decisions.

Renovation Begins!: Finally this week, this gem of a shop in the Gut...

RENOVATION CONTINUES....

Haven't Posted for a few days... this week in Studio 104 we have continued to scrape the walls. every bit of old paint, plaster, cement has to come off and then the walls will be re-pointed. Ready for the eventual Water Resistant Plaster boards that will cover them up to 3metres high. This will leave about a meter of the old stone showing. The reason of course being the walls in Valletta and in the studio are prone to crumbling and retaining moisture. NOT good for displaying Art Works really.

• Image of Studio 104 interior space before works have begun

• Image of Interior walls being scraped of all old paint, plaster & cement.

• Close up of an interior wall.

I am busy, still looking for tiles for the shower room this week (again), a Belfast Sink (for the working area at the back of the space)  12 spot lights, oh and a CAR!!

Finding it very hard to find a  used car on my minuscule budget. Mainly UK imports out there with high mileage and high prices!!!

I have been back to the Shop Front Frameless Glass supplier to talk about the handle for  Studio 104's Glass Door. He said that a Full Length. 15mm handle would have to be custom made! OUCH.

I thought about Designing and Casting it myself out of Bronze BUT the stainless steel hinges supporting the sides of the glass would look odd. Mr Vella showed me their version of 'Bronze effect' coloured hinges but sadly these will not do. The Interior...starting with the Frameless Glass door must be a Contemporary Contrast to the Existing Shop Front and Architectural Space. So Custom Made Stainless Steel Handle it is.

Renovation Begins!: Finally this week, this gem of a shop in the Gut...

Getting Down To Business

So the scraping of the interior walls started today.

This is to take away years of plastering, paint and cement.

What should be left at the end of the day are clean Maltese stones that can then

be re-pointed and sealed. 

The not so great news today came from the contractor... he is now telling me the carpenter

wants 2,500.euros MORE for his work, which includes restoring the Shop Front?

He is saying that the carpenter 'thought' the contractor was supplying the materials for his work!

Well basically all the funds are allocated and it looks like we a re now looking for a new carpenter,

who will work within the set (in concrete) original budget.

I will let you know! This kind of thing was always 'on its way.'

Renovation Begins!: Finally this week, this gem of a shop in the Gut...

Renovation Begins!:

Finally this week, this gem of a shop in the Gut...: Finally this week, this gem of a shop in the Gutts of Valletta is officially under renovation. How will this Contemporary Art Space...

SUNNY TODAY IN VALLETTA!

THIS IS THE SEA VIEW FROM OUTSIDE STUDIO 104. IT LOOKS OVER TO SLIEMA AND THE HILTON TOWER.

So for anyone who has been wondering, what happened yesterday with the Malta Planning Authority, Site Visit......
The Planning Officers arrived on time!
They concluded very quickly that my Interior, Wooden & Glass Display unit was not of an historical importance and they "were prepared to let it go."

The Shop Front needs a Minor Amendment Notice. This will allow for the replacement and replica wooden sections to be inserted where the shop front has had, impact damage.

My proposal to insert a Framless Glass shop window was met with some scepticism BUT having pointed out that the original shopfront will actually frame the glass AND create a magnificent visual, that showcases the Architectural features of the interior space, such as...high ceilings, grand arches and depth, PLUS the Contemporary Art exhibitions..... It was proposed that I again submit this as a Minor Amendment and specify the detailing of the glass and the hardware for their approval.

As you already know we have unearthed some Antique Maltese Stones. I am planning for these to be used between the first two arches, thus creating an area within the Studio that will showcase a 'turn' or a 'twist' in an exhibtion. Still a continuation of the interior spacial line (as I plan to lay the tiles together to create a diamond, centred between the arches) but a 'pause'... in the artist's exhibition where different media can enter.

Studio 104:  A Fine Art & Design Space (5 November 2012)

Finally this week, this gem of a shop in the Gutts of Valletta is officially under renovation.

How will this Contemporary Art Space 'fit in' with the local residents and exsisting working enviroment?

Can Art regenerate?

Will the established Maltese art audience find there way to the Lower Half of St Lucy Street Valletta?

How will an 'off the main throughway' Art Gallery Fair?

STUDIO 104  is set to be a unique Contemporary Art Gallery & Working Studio Space.

• Day one saw the ground breaking -literrally- taking up the floor tiles
• A trip to Valletta Local Council where I was promptly given( for a couple of euro per day) a NO PARKING PERMIT for the skip. 
• Midweek saw the 'unearthing' of antique Maltese Stones beneath the interior soil. Which means I am now trying to design the new flooring, incorporating these 12inch thick granite like stones? Unfortunatley there were are only a few metres of these stone slabs.
• The new underfloor drainage is in! 
• Meeting with MEPA which is the Maltese Planning Authority & Heritage on Friday to discuss the possibility of excluding the interior display case, (allowing more acces to the studio the front door is tiny and since it is a bubbling mess of plywood, filled with woodwarm and unfunctional as the sliding doors dont really work thus giving limited usage to the Display Cabinate itself) basically concluded with an appointment being made for a site visite this Monday 5 November (anyone is welcome to join!) in St Lucy Street, Valletta!
• The shop front had also had some kind of impact damage and my carpenter is telling me that this is now not 'economically viable' to restore? I may have to make a New Replica one out of wood???

SO THIS IS THE FIRST WEEK..... KEEP WATCHING THIS SPACE FOR MORE INFORMATION, RENOVATION REVELATIONS AND MEPA ....SAGA.