Penwith Gallery Studios 1-3 Reconfiguration & Improvements

Description

Our project will involve the reconfiguration of and improvements to Studios 1-3 (situated above the gallery) to bring two currently uninhabitable studios back into use, better configure the space in Studio 3 (Porthmeor Print Workshop) and create a fourth studio for artists' use. This will include the installation of fire corridors and fireproof boarding throughout in accordance with current regulations, and new toilet facilities for tenants and pupils to replace the inadequate amenities currently in use. The studios are situated in what was formerly St Peter's Loft, Peter Lanyon's school of painting with a separate entrance above the main gallery entrance accessed by a cobbled slope. Studios 1 and 2 are no longer fit for purpose and have been redundant for some time. They need rewiring and reboarding with additional fireproof materials, and studio 1 is in need of proper fire exit access. The two studios share a site with Studio 3 which is the long-term home of the Porthmeor Printmakers Workshop. This space is still in use as a working and teaching space at present but requires significant works in order to continue to be a viable site in the future. Boards need replacing here too and proper toilet facilities need to be installed to replace the inadequate current amenities, and the layout itself is poorly arranged with a lot of dead space which could be repurposed to better effect. We intend to reconfigure the layout across all three current studios, moving Studio 1 to the other end of the Print Workshop, building a fire corridor, moving and improving the Printmakers Workshop office space and fume cupboard and creating a fourth studio for a new artist tenant. We propose beginning the works in January 2024 during the gallery closure and completing the works by the end of February. This is typically a quiet time within the town with easier site access for contractors, and also coincides with a two-month period with no workshops booked at the Porthmeor Printmakers Workshop which would make it convenient for our current tenants. Building materials can be stored in the gallery courtyard which has its own street access, and the studios have a separate entrance so need not disrupt gallery business. The purchase of this system is part of a grant funded application process and therefore procurement will be subject to grant approval of the project. We will assess tenders received on a Most Economically Advantageous Tender.