Integration and Development Plan - The "One Gallery" Project

The Trustees are pressing ahead with a plan to greatly improve the Stormont Studio and then to integrate it - through an extension and glass link - to the Easton Rooms. After a good deal of planning resulting in the granting of all the necessary Local Authority permissions, work started in January 2007 and is expected to continue into 2010. There are 12 sub projects in three phases.

Phase 1 - Preliminaries : Early work saw the completion of improvements to vital infrastructure such as electrics, security, IT, storage and office space. The next involved a complete renovation of the Easton Rooms frontage on the High Street, including improved access for wheelchairs. This work benefited from a heritage grant from Renaissance Museums.

Phase 2 - Rear Stormont Extension: On 10th July 2008,work started on a two storey extension at the rear of the Stormont Studio to provide disabled toilet facilities, more storage and an improved kitchen. The latter has been funded by the Friends. This phase was completed in December 2008.

Phase 3 - The Stormont to Easton Link: Work on the groundworks for this phase ran in parallel with Phase 2 from summer 2008. From behind the Easton Rooms (was the old yard) some 50 tons of earth has been removed and 50 tons of material brought in for concrete foundations and floors, supporting brickwork and related construction. Construction above the groundworks started in January 2009 with new walls, supporting steel for the Easton extension and renovation of the gazebo. A key milestone was reached when the Festival show opened on 12 September in the newly completed Easton Rooms extension. About 90% of the planned work has now been completed and the Gallery programme has continued without serious interruption. The Trustees are pressing on with the link between the new extension and Stormont Studio, work which will run on to the Spring. A grand opening of the complete project is expected later in 2010.

The detailed plans and visionary drawings can be viewed in the Stormont Studio. Newsletters from the Chair of Trustees, Anthony Kimber PhD MSc, will provide further details. Copies of these are copyright protected but can be obtained by E Mail to ryeartgallery@googlemail.com.

STOP PRESS: On 4 March 2010, builders start on the link between the new extension and the Stormont Studio. This is the final stage of the project.