The gallery is located in the suburb of Flynn, Canberra, surrounded by urban land, with clusters of gum trees and a sport field to the South.  The intention is to transform the existing Flynn Primary School to a silvermith and jewellery workshop and residence. It incorporates but does not replicate Taglietti’s original concept and aesthetic and combines references to silver-smithing and jewellery design. References to the history of the school are also present.

 

Jewellery intrigues.

Jewellery enhances.

Jewellery can be subtle or it can overpower.

 

The approach taken to this gallery design was one of a quiet, subtle, intriguing enhancement to the already existing building, without being overpowering.

The existing structure remains apparent. It lives and breathes. It is celebrated and adorned with glowing, wrapping, ornamentation.

 

"Everyone likes to own a jewel, but almost nobody talks about it.  Natural modesty is one cause of this discretion, one may like to enhance oneself, to show off a precious stone or a design, but one waits for people to see it..."

Graham Hughes from "Jewelry' 1966

 

This design focuses on the central exhibition space that leads to the main gallery.  This central exhibition space houses the two workshop/ studio spaces, clustered off the main central spine.

These studios are essentially two glowing boxes that are semi-transparent, however they are still private spaces within a very public domain.

 

The studios have a direct relationship with the exhibition space, as they are held within the same area, therefore, are considered to be exhibition space themselves. The intent is to fuse exhibition and workshop hence, public and semi-public spaces.

 

The design encapsulates Enrico Taglietti’s original concept of:

 

Interpreted through the use of transparent ‘boxes’ and the fusion of public and private spaces

 

This is the strongest influence on the design of the gallery and is expressed throughout with long, low tunnel-like corridors; via the lighting; shadows; horizontal timber slatting; and hyper-accentuated long horizontal objects such as the concrete seating and the work bench.

 

Punctuations made in walls to increase views to the site.

 

Interpretations of the story of the site through the use of sculptural ‘totem pole’ objects created in collaboration with artists. These are to be made with timber logs, stumps, steel and metal. These objects reference not only the connection to the site in which the trees are historically significant but also the tree stumps that silversmiths traditionally use.

These objects create a vertical space inhabiting a transitional space. The visitor is guided through the low, dark yet glowing horizontal space, then enter this transitional vertical space and finally into the main gallery which is a combination of horizontality and verticality.

 

 

Incorporated through the use of floating concrete walls, appearing not to be attached to the ground or the ceiling with light escaping through the slit between the ground and the bottom of the wall and the ceiling and the top of the wall.

 

A display unit in glass is a reference to Taglietti’s angular shapes.

Once travelling down the paths the visitor is exposed to exhibitions of silversmith works and jewellery but also to the artists themselves who are on show. The intention is to allow the visitors to gain an understanding of the whole process of the craft, from raw material to finished product.

 

A Japanese aesthetic is strongly present and was chosen because of the feel of the space being low and horizontal, almost ‘Frank Lloyd Wright-esque’. The ‘Ma’ (interval space) has been translated in the transitional space leading to the main gallery. ‘Genkan’ at the entrance - a space where one enters, stops and assesses. Another Japanese reference is the change in floor height and the staggered entrance.

 

Penetrating elements such as the display light boxes and the concrete work bench.

Additionally, the themes of intrigue, mystery and drama are created through the use of light and lack of light and semi-transparent spaces.  Once entering the space at the base of the stairs, the visitor is invited to travel down three dark meandering paths- left, right or straight. At the end of each path is an intriguing feature such as a glowing box or a hint of light, enticing the visitor to travel down the path to find out what is at the end, upon which they stumble upon something new and are invited to travel through another space.