Burrell Collection redevelopment has £15m lottery grant approved

● Work to secure the future of flagship art gallery to start next spring

Work on a £66 million overhaul to transform one of Scotland’s most prestigious art collections will get under way within months after the Heritage Lottery Fund gave the green light to the project.

A radical revamp of the home of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow will begin in the spring of next and is due for completion by 2020 after the project was awarded a £15 million grant.

Around 90 per cent of the 9,000-strong collection donated to the city by the Glasgowborn shipping merchant and art collector Sir William Burrell in 1944 will be going on display in the new-look museum.

Just 20 per cent of the collection, which has been housed

0 An artist’s impression of how the Burrell Collection will look after its £66m revamp in the landmark building since 1983, has been able to go on display there and the current museum was branded “no longer fit for purpose” two years ago by Glasgow Life, the trust which runs the attraction.

The HLF said the collection was “one of the greatest gifts ever given to a city and the seed that helped Glasgow grow into the thriving cultural centre it is today”.

The A-listed building in Pollok Country Park is said to be in “urgent need of refurbishment,” with some of the art treasures collected by Sir William removed for their own protection due to its deteriorating fabric.

The project will see the overhaul of its gallery spaces, collection stores opened to the public for the first and the cre- ation of a new dedicated space for special exhibitions and a new outdoor events arena created. The roof of the building will be completely overhauled, while landscaped terraces will be introduced at the front of the museum to link with its parkland setting and provide a new outdoor venue for events.

The building was closed down last October to start the process of decanting the art treasures, some of which have gone on display at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Seona Reid, the Scotland committee of the HLF, said: “It is timely that in a year when we are celebrating Scotland’s History, Heritage and Archaeology, we are able to support such an important collection. It will be transformed so it can continue to be a place of joy and inspiration for local, national and international visitors for many years to come.”

Architect John Mcaslan, whose practice is spearheading the Burrell Collection overhaul, said: “We’re delighted with the announcement, which supports plans to breathe new life into the Burrell Collection so that it can continue to inspire local, national and international visitors for many years to come.”

Glasgow Life said more than 100 supporters were backing the Burrell Collection project, with 80 per cent of the project costs secured.