WALCOT STREET ENHANCEMANT STUDY
B BEEHIVE YARD
'The emerging archeological strategy for Bath highlights the national importance of the Walcot Street/London Road area. The conservation of these remains is seen as a priority in both the short and long term.' Bath Archeological Trust
The new development under
construction at Beehive Yard will be a mixed use development in keeping with
the character of Walcot Street.The
original Tramshed building which previously housed the Fleamarket will be converted
into flats,offices and a restaurant.
The Foundry and other
areas will house workshops and studios and there will be a centre for community/welfare
provision on the site.The restaurant has a raised terrace opening on to the
Walcot Street entrance to the site and the riverside has been safeguared for
future leisure provision.
The gateway to the new development is a generous road width and there will be
provision for pedestrians,cyclists and vehicles on the new site.
B1. PEDESTRIANS/CYCLISTS
This will be a busy
gateway area with constant vehicle,pedestrian and cycle activity and pedestrian
priority must be in place for both crossing the entrance to the site on Walcot
Street and for coming into the site.This could be done through the use of pennant
sets across the entrance and wide footways to either side coming into the site
or by extending the uneven road surfacing (pennants) into the site. The effect
of this would;
a). Calm traffic right down at this very critical junction
b). Give pedestrians clear priority
c). Divide the proposed tarmac with gravel dressing surface from Walcot Street. This road surfacing is inappropriate to Walcot Street and would destroy the beauty of the footway were it to break through at this point.(ref entrance to St Swithins,former Aldridges)
d). Clearly mark the entrance and statement the quality of the new site
e). Slow down outgoing vehicles before they reach Walcot Street particularly on Saturdays when there is a tailback from the entrance to the Podium carpark right past the Beehive Yard entrance.
f). Avoid similar problems as at Cattle Market site junction with Walcot Street,the exit for the Podium Car Park.
B2. ENTRANCE
The development will take a good fifteen months to complete and it is important
to make a feature of this entrance both during and after construction work is
complete for the following reasons:
a. To draw attention to the entrance to maximise safety during the long ,disruptive and dirty construction phase.
b. To deter people from using it as a urinal or defacing it with unacceptable graffitti.
c. To make the hoardings as attractive as possible so that shoppers and pedestrians are not deterred from coming up or down Walcot Street.
d. To light the entrance as well as possible during and after construction to maximise safety and deter breaking and entering.
e. To sign it imaginatively creating a focus, to warn other motorists of possible out and ingoing traffic in order to calm the traffic.
f. To provide a pedestrian footway surface ie. pennant sets, at the junction of the entrance to the site with Walcot Street to protect pedestrians and give them precedence over the roadway into the site.
g. To highlight the development for commercial purposes, making the entrance as attractive as possible to encourage people into the restaurant and into the workshops and studios and promote sales of the flats and studios.
h. To use local artists,craftspeople and businesses in and around the site to showcase local work and talent, boost local employment and introduce a site specific element perhaps drawing on its considerable Roman heritage.
1. HOARDINGS
Existing hoardings at the front entrance to Beehive Yard .
ARTIST: BRIAN ELWELL
Brian Elwell had a one person show at the Victoria Art Gallery entitled 'Windows
of Bath'. He has agreed for this work from the show to be reproduced into large
format PVC covered banner/prints to be sited onto the existing hoardings at
the front entrance to the Beehive Yard site and with additional funding ,to
cover the existing hoardings along the very neglected scaffold area along the
South side of the Cornmarket on the Cattle Market site.
This could be used as a precedent in this area of the cattle market to showcase
artists of Bath, in this format or, as slide projections or paintings directly
on to the hoardings.If this format is used,Colourstudios would renegotiate prices
in exchange for advertising space. Reasons for hoardings input:
a). Elwell's work is inspired by Bath and very site specific.
b). There is no reason for Walcot Street to look destitute whilst construction work is in progress.Must be attractive to attract shoppers etc.
c). Stimulates interest in the site.
d) Showcases a very well known local artist's work.
e). On the Cornmarket, lifts a very neglected but focal area. PRODUCTION: Colourstudios, Unit 5/6, Haydon Trading Estate, Radstock, Bath BA3 3RD. 01761 431300 Artist to retain copyright of all works and ownership of one banner
INSTALLATION: Artist to work with Future Heritage contractors. Fixing with screws and washers through eyelets onto hoardings.
FUNDING: Funding sort from Future Heritage and sub contractors.
COST: 1 x 4 foot x 12 foot PVC coated printed banner £ 500.00 1 x 4 foot x 6 foot PVC coated printed banner £ 290.00 Installation £ 75.00
2. ARCHWAY
Commission a lightweight metal archway following Bath tradition to span over
the entrance road and footways on the Walcot Street frontage to incorporate
signage,low energy decorative lighting,3D elements and other media.It would
be designed in relation to proposed archway at Old Orchard.
ARTIST: Iron Art
of Bath with Aqua Glass/ Bronwyn Williams Ellis and artists coming into Beehive
Yard /collaboration Advertise in BANA and Visual Arts and Crafts Newsletter
for Artist collaboration + open submission sketch idea for project Iron Art
of Bath was previously based on Walcot Street and Aqua Glass and ceramicist,Bronwyn
Williams Ellis are based in Old Orchard. Iron Art may relocate back to Beehive
Yard.
They have had many years experience creating street furnishings for Bath, both
contemporary and traditional. This archway should be a contemporary piece but
in the Bath tradition. The archway would be sited just behind the pedestrian
footway area crossing the entrance to Beehive Yard.
It should spring off two vertical columns set at either side of the Beehive
Yard roadway and footway.Low energy lighting could be incorporated in the vertical
structures with signage within the arch area with sufficient clearance for large
delivery vehicles.
SELECTION:Either,Iron Art of Bath collaboration selected by Design Forum Or,Display of sketches in local cafe/club with vote box Final scheme to be selected out of top three choices by Walcot Street Design Forum
PRODUCTION: Lead Artist to provide brief for the project. Selected artists to create design in consultation with Lead Artist. Design to be as original and expressive as possible. Work to be fabricated off site and installed on site in conjunction with contractors before building programme is complete.
FUNDING: Future Heritage and partnership funding
COST & INSTALLATION:Estimated cost £ 7.500.00 + VAT Scaffold Hire £ 1.000.00 Exhibition /display of sketch or sketches £ 100.00 £ 8.600.00
3. MIXED MEDIA RELIEF
Commission a mixed media relief piece to be sited on the South facing wall of
the Domino Pizza building at the entrance to Beehive Yard. It should be of a
sufficient scale to attract attention from the bottom of Walcot Street by the
Podium.
This is a significant point in the street to create a visual focus to draw people
up the street from the Podium and the Saturday market and provide interest for
those travelling by car, on foot or on public transport as well as emphasise
Beehive Yard creating a landmark, for the new site.
It would be of benefit to Walcot Street traders attracting Bristol and Bath
market shoppers up past the Cattle Market area, and visitors up from the Podium
and Hilton Hotel areas.
ARTIST: Artist collaboration
It would be a collaborative piece coordinated and lead by the Lead Artist. To
include elements of the work of many of the artists,traders and makers in Walcot
Street and collaboratively designed.
To be colourful and unique possibly combining, ceramic, print, metal, stone,
mosaic, glass, paint, photography, wood etcetera showcaseing the work of Walcot
Street.
The work would be backed onto a substantial board and constructed off site,be
very site specific and very much relating to the past and present history of
Walcot Street.
There have been in Walcot Street, glassmakers, leather workers, shoemakers,
iron and brass foundries, potters and mosaicists, smithies for horses and metal
working, grand buildings with mosaiced floors, colonnaded courtyards, small
terraced housing, workshops, summerhouses, markets, malthouses, tanneries and
bakeries.
A diverse number of trades and practices, a diverse range of architectural styles,
as diverse as Walcot Street is today,centuries from the 2nd Century AD .
This area has been the industrial and commercial heart of the City through the
centuries. The artwork should create a visual focus to draw people up the street
from the Podium and the Saturday market and provide interest for those travelling
by car,on foot or on public transport as well as emphasise Beehive Yard creating
a landmark for the new site.
This piece should create a bold statement from afar and allow intimacies and
subtleties on close inspection.A metaphor for the human scale of Walcot Street,
the large spaces and the intimate ones.
SELECTION:All those artists/traders/makers in Walcot Street who wanted to take part could do so.
PRODUCTION:The Lead
Artist would convene 4 meetings,
1). To discuss the project,see what elements they have,source a work space for
drawing to scale and fabrication(Village Hall possible)and discuss installation
and siteing.
2).A design session to work together and design the work of a sufficient scale.
3).A further session to draw up/collage a working drawing to scale for fabrication.
4).Artists would contribute existing elements or make up their contribution
in their own workshops and the final session would be to construct the work
prior to installation in section.
INSTALLATION:The work must be extremely durable and resistant to exterior conditions. Scaffolding would have to be put in place to install the work. Installation to be carried out with contractors prior to completion. Low energy lighting should be installed to light the work at night.
FUNDING: Sponsorship and Partnership Funding
COST: Fabrication/Installation and Scaffolding £ 5.000.00 Lighting estimated cost £ 500.00 £ 5.500.00
A location and trader map
with moveable sections could be produced by the signmakers in Walcot Street
to indicate the layout and personel within the Beehive Yard development to be
sited on the same wall below the mixed media piece.
A regular open studio and workshop day with demonstrations could also be indicated
here to bring people back to a site which was a previous market site, possibly
a Saturday.
Likewise a monthly or weekly art market could be held on the road side of the
railings to the restaurant area every Saturday,to attract people back to the
site into the restaurant and up the street.
This art market could be extended along the cattle market railings (if the vision
blocking wall is removed) and Hilton Hotel railings to create a link through
the 'gap' area to the street and inadvertently encourage visitors and shoppers
up the street.