Works to rehabilitate the Old Abattoir in Valletta into the Valletta Design Cluster have entered their final phase.
The building was on Wednesday visited by Arts Minister José Herrera, accompanied by Valletta Cultural Agency chairman Jason Micallef.
The Valletta Design Cluster, part of the Valletta Cultural Agency and a legacy project of Valletta 2018 European Capital Of Culture, is set to open its doors in the coming months.
The project was first announced five years ago as part of the Valletta 2018 infrastructural programme, and was originally scheduled for completion in 2018.
It was delayed and passed under the management of the Valletta Cultural Agency, with when its opening was rescheduled to late 2019.
The Valletta Design Cluster comprises of 3,000 square metres of floor space for the creative industry, local and international artists, NGO's and the Valletta community.
During the past few months, works and installations relating to the finishes of the building proceeded at a fast pace.
All services including electrical, water and data connections, as well as accessibility equipment, including lift facilities, have been installed.
The project will now move into its final phase with the installation of equipment and furniture in the various spaces expected to take place in the coming months, in the leadup to the opening of the facilities towards the second half of the year.
At the same time, new public water and electricity connections have been passed to the neighbourhood as part of the restoration of the roads and public spaces immediately adjacent to the building, while work on the procurement of the roof garden facilities is in full swing.
All the interventions are being funded through European Structural Funds and Malta government funds.
The Valletta Design Cluster will include several publicly accessible areas that can be used by students, residents, cultural workers and freelance practitioners in arts, design and creative enterprise as well as NGOs.
These areas include coworking facilities, a makerspace complete with digital fabrication tools and equipment, a foodspace complete with teaching and food preparation facilities, and a number of studios for creative practitioners. The roof space is also being converted into a publicly accessible roof garden, the first of its kind in Valletta.