ReCoop-The Restoration and Conservation Coop Ltd

ReCoop-The Restoration and Conservation Coop Ltd ReCoop is a fully recognised co-operative made up of professional individuals offering conservation and restoration services.

ReCoop offers a variety of services for objects of Cultural Heritage including Easel and Mural Paintings, Polychrome Sculptures, Ceramics, Glass, Metal, Stone and Marble Artefacts, Monuments and Architectural Sites. Our Services include:

• Conservation and Restoration Treatments
• Condition Surveys and Conservation Audits
• Scientific and Art Historical Research
• Consultancy
• Diagnostic Investigations and Monitoring

13/06/2026

midjune 🌞🐝

Last week, we had the privilege of presenting the conserved and restored late Baroque Baptismal font cover belonging to ...
12/06/2026

Last week, we had the privilege of presenting the conserved and restored late Baroque Baptismal font cover belonging to the Parish Church of Xewkija in Gozo. Before undergoing conservation, the piece had sustained considerable deterioration. Most notably, this included detachments of the pictorial layer, splitting of the wooden panels throughout its structure, and scattered losses across its delicate decorative elements. During the cleaning process, our team found out that the baptismal font cover had undergone numerous interventions over the years as a result of a persistent insect infestation.

The presence of at least three layers of oil paint pointed to just as many previous treatments. Beneath the first layer, however, a remarkable detail emerged, the font cover was originally silver gilt, retaining evident traces of painted floral and vegetal motifs, with incised foliage adorning its base. The sculpted decorative elements on its sides and edges were also originally silver gilt and finished with shellac, giving the impression of a golden finish. This provided us with the necessary information for the font’s final presentation, where the original silver was preserved while addressing losses with minimal silver leaf integration.

Finally, we would like to thank archpriest of the Xewkija Parish Church Mons Daniel Xerri and for the entire parish community for entrusting us with this exciting project.

Our dedicated team from RECOOP’s Architecture Section is currently engaged in an ongoing project in Valletta involving t...
23/05/2026

Our dedicated team from RECOOP’s Architecture Section is currently engaged in an ongoing project in Valletta involving the restoration of corbel stones, wrought iron railings, balconies, and apertures.

These images capture moments from our meticulous work on some truly remarkable elements of Maltese architectural heritage, each one reflecting the craftsmanship, character, and timeless design that define our built environment.

We’re pleased to share a selection of images from the newly inaugurated nineteenth-century picture gallery at the Mdina ...
12/05/2026

We’re pleased to share a selection of images from the newly inaugurated nineteenth-century picture gallery at the Mdina Cathedral Museum. This collection forms part of the Dr John Bugeja Caruana bequest, now thoughtfully presented within the museum’s renewed space.

At RECOOP, it was a privilege to undertake the conservation and restoration of several paintings from this collection, three of which are featured here. We extend our sincere thanks to the museum curator, Mons. Dr Edgar Vella, the exhibition curator Mr Joe Borg, and the entire curatorial team for placing their trust in us throughout this project.

Their commitment to both the collection and its setting is commendable, and we warmly encourage the public to visit this remarkable museum in the heart of Mdina.

We’re pleased to share a selection of images from a recently completed conservation and restoration project.The gilt ped...
07/05/2026

We’re pleased to share a selection of images from a recently completed conservation and restoration project.
The gilt pedestal of the processional statue of St Joseph at the Collegiate Parish Church of St Lawrence in Birgu was in a dire state of conservation, with multiple structural splits which had developed over time, significantly compromising both its stability and its decorative integrity.
Given the pedestal’s function, as a support for the statue during processions thus being subject to prolonged periods of stress, it was essential to prioritise the consolidation and preservation of its structure.

We would like to thank the Vittoriosa Historical & Cultural Society and the Parroċċa San Lawrenz - Il-Birgu for entrusting us with this project.

We’re pleased to share a selection of images from a conservation and restoration project we have recently completed. The...
27/04/2026

We’re pleased to share a selection of images from a conservation and restoration project we have recently completed. The painting depicting the Crucifixion of St Peter, housed in the Parish Church of Stella Maris in Sliema, was in a deteriorated state of conservation. In addition to extensive varnish oxidation, the work had suffered a significant insect infestation, leading to the near-total disintegration of the canvas and causing the painting to buckle under its own weight.

To stabilise the structure, the painting was lined using our specialised mist-lining technique. This method employs a minimal amount of reversible adhesive, activated through a controlled mist of solvent vapour, thus ensuring both effectiveness and reversibility.

Following a meticulous conservation process, the legibility and overall coherence of the composition were substantially improved. The scene closely follows the composition by Guido Reni, originally commissioned by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini around 1604 for the Church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane, and now held in the Pinacoteca Vaticana. Interestingly, the present work was likely commissioned by the Xara family, as suggested by the coat of arms visible in the lower left corner.

We’re pleased to share images from a recently completed conservation and restoration project. The late sixteenth century...
23/04/2026

We’re pleased to share images from a recently completed conservation and restoration project. The late sixteenth century, Sanctae Mariae polyptych from the Gozo Cathedral Museum was in a critical state of preservation, with pronounced darkening of the paint layer caused by accumulated grime, areas of flaking, and structural instability in the wooden supports.
Following the careful re-adhesion of the flaking pictorial layers, attention turned to stabilising the panels’ structure. The removal of oxidised varnish and surface deposits was carried out using appropriate cleaning solutions, ensuring that the natural patina of the aged binder and pigments was retained.
Notably, two of the panels bear a monogram on their verso with the initials “FIMC.” As discussed in Lydia Pavia Dimech’s MA thesis, A History of Interventions on Renaissance Paintings in Malta, this same monogram appears on the verso of a panel depicting St Barbara. That work, together with two accompanying panels depicting St Anthony the Abbot and St John the Baptist housed in the Church of St Barbara, shows a clear stylistic affinity with the Gozitan polyptych.
While it is tempting to hypothesise that these panels may once have formed part of a single, larger, now fragmented polyptych, it is a possibility which surely requires further study and substantiation.

We're glad to have carried out the conservation and restoration project of the main façade of the Church of the Holy Tri...
06/04/2026

We're glad to have carried out the conservation and restoration project of the main façade of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Marsa. Our dedicated RECOOP team worked hard and diligently for the fruition of such project. This project was carried out under the directorship of the Restoration Department and the monitoring of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

Work is progressing nicely on Giuseppe Calì's pendentive depicting Christ among the Doctors at the Sanctuary Basilica of...
06/03/2026

Work is progressing nicely on Giuseppe Calì's pendentive depicting Christ among the Doctors at the Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin in Mosta. Following the completion of this work our attention will then focus on another pendentive depicting Mary Magdalene anointing the feet of Christ at the House of Simon. The pendentives are painted in oils directly on stone and both presented a considerable layer of grime and atmospheric particulate which resulted in the obscuring of Calì's palette.

We’re glad to share with you some images from a recent project of conservation and restoration that we’ve just completed...
03/03/2026

We’re glad to share with you some images from a recent project of conservation and restoration that we’ve just completed. The posthumous portrait of the Priest from Senglea Natalis Buhagiar was in a dire state of conservation. Aside from the considerable layers of oxidised varnish, grime and dust which were present on the painting’s surface, the painting was also lined in a very unusual manner. The lining canvas was adhered to the original canvas with alternate applications of glue in horizontal swathes which caused the canvas to deform causing acute planar deformations. The cleaning phase of the painting resulted in the emergence of a stern depiction of Buhagiar engaged in a play of rigid gestures, who according to the script on the lower part of the painting was responsible for the foundation of a conservatorio for the support of thirteen girls in need.

Address

Triq L-Esportaturi
Birkirkara
BKR3000

Opening Hours

Monday 07:30 - 17:00
Tuesday 07:30 - 17:00
Wednesday 07:30 - 17:00
Thursday 07:30 - 17:00
Friday 07:30 - 17:00

Telephone

+35621491297

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