Select a region
The charity behind the Harbour Gallery in St. Aubin is looking to transform a former merchant's house opposite St. Helier Harbour into "art studios, work rooms, galleries, exhibition spaces, and retails of art and art materials".
'Art in the Frame Foundation' has applied for planning permission to convert offices in a Listed building neighbouring Normans.
The existing ground and first floor offices spaces are located at 19 Commercial Buildings and the charity hope that, if approved, the new arts space there would provide "facilities to provide tuition to various sectors of the public".
The premises is a Grade 3 Listed industrial building, described as “an early 19th century example of a merchant's house which retains its essential fabric, form and scale" which is "part of an important set of merchants houses and warehouses".
This means that people are not allowed to "carry on an activity which might injure or deface the site or part of a site".
Pictured: 19 Commercial Buildings in St. Helier.
The building is described in its listing as having “scenic value" and being "part of a group of buildings of architectural and historic significance".
However, many of the key features of significance are on the outside of the building.
Internally, the building has "been modernised" but the "few features of interest" which remain include "three mahogany doors in moulded doorframes and a marble fireplace".
Pictured: The historical marble fireplace inside the building.
The charity applying for the 'change of use' planning permission, Art in the Frame Foundation, say that they believe that their "proposed interventions on the 'listed' building are minimal and neutral in terms of their effect".
They explained: "The methods adopted in retaining the two existing mahogany doors, that need to be upgraded in terms of fire resistance, means that they can be easily reinstated at some further juncture if required."
Pictured: The decorative elements of the mahogany doors will remain, while it is proposed that the other side (undecorated) will be covered to achieve the required fire separation.
In addition, the marble fireplace that was also identified as being of historical significance is to be left in-situ.
Art in the Frame Foundation was founded in 1998 by two local art teachers, with the aim of promoting up-and-coming local artists and improving art education locally.
It has also run numerous island-wide arts competitions and initiatives, as well as global ones, including a drive to get people around the world to contribute pennants for 75m of bunting to commemorate 75 years since the island was liberated in 2020.
The Harbour Gallery - whose future is currently uncertain - opened four years later in 2002. Recently, the charity was honoured to have Lady Dalton as Patron.
The charity's application to transform the Commercial Buildings premises remains before Planning and a decision is expected to be made at the beginning of October.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.