Burrell project given £27m

Council funds renovation

A further £27million towards the refurbishment of the Burrell Collection has been approved by councillors.

The Glasgow museum closed lastOctober as work started to upgrade its buildingandmake it “fit for purpose” withmoredisplay space for artefacts.

The entire project is estimated to cost £66million, with around half coming from Glasgow City Council.

A meeting of the council’s executive committee yesterday approved £27.3million towards the cost of the refurbishment, adding to £ 5.7million which it had already pledged.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given £15million to the project and the UK Government has also contributed £5million, with a fundraising campaign aiming to raise the rest.

Donated to the city by Sir William Burrell in 1944, only about 20% of the collection was on display.

Under the modernisation plans, a new roof glazing will be fitted, along with two new floors of exhibition space so that 90% of the 8,000 objects can be viewed by the public.

Throughout the refurbishment, some of the works will be on display at Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow while an international tour of part of the collection will support the fundraising drive and raise the collection’s profile worldwide.

Councillor Archie Graham, chair of Glasgow Life, said: “The Burrell Collection is a masterpiece and the refurbished and redisplayed museum will be one of Scotland’s finest cultural assets.

“Sir William’s great legacy has been described as the greatest gift a city has ever received.”