The missing Gormleys will not return to the Water of Leith this summer.
Last August we reported the National Galleries of Scotland’s intention to replace the four human figures at Bell’s Mill, Stockbridge, Powderhall and Bonnington – possibly as early as May 2016.
But now, ‘complex engineering challenges’ mean the buff bathers will not be seen again until May 2017 at the earliest.
Spurtle has spoken to Julie-Ann Delaney, the NGS curator in charge of the project for the last five years.
She tells us that arranging less responsive tipping mechanisms for the statues at Bonnington and Stockbridge is not the problem.
It’s finding the ‘most robust fixing method’ for the other two pieces, which will be located in deeper water, that’s proving difficult.
Another level of permanence
In the past, the Bell's Mill and Powderhall figures rested on huge steel plates under the water, but these plates were not themselves attached to the riverbed by anything more than gravity.
NGS now seeks ‘another level of permanence’ at these locations, which will involve heavy plant in the survey of not only the riverbed’s surface but also the geological conditions under the surface.
This revised brief has resulted in a change of engineers, and will also complicate the kind of licence NGS must secure from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
‘We’re determined to get it right,’ says Delaney, ‘and we won’t proceed with the job until we’re sure it will last. We don’t want to have to revisit this in a few years’ time.’
NGS remains committed to the project, she insists, and she confirms that the anonymous patron who pledged to fund the restoration has signalled their willingness to continue meeting the costs from private funds.
For now, all we can do is wait. We’ll report back as and when we hear of developments.
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@theSpurtle they could replace the 2 that don't need the extensive reworkings