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05 Apr 2022

Glasgow's iconic Burrell Collection reopens after five-year, £68.5m revamp

The Burrell Collection in Glasgow, UK has reopened following a £68.25m refurbishment which took five years to complete.

Exhibiting objects from Europe and Asia, the vast collection was donated to the city and people of Glasgow by art collector Sir William Burrell in 1944.

A museum housing the collection, which includes more than 9,000 objects, was then built and opened in Pollok Park in 1983.

The collection holds items from all over the world and includes one of the most significant collections of Chinese art in the UK and objects from ancient civilisations, including Roman sculpture and Egyptian pottery more than 2,000 years old.

There are also medieval treasures including stained glass, arms and armour and paintings by renowned 19th century French artists Manet, Cézanne and Degas.

A spokesperson for the museum said: "The refurbishment has given us the chance to rethink and reshape our galleries and displays in an innovative and dynamic way, and to start telling stories which were previously hidden.

"People can discover a variety of galleries that explore the many ways that people lived, used, made and traded the objects on display.

"The revitalised Burrell helps connect visitors with the people who made many of the exquisite works and some of the people who have owned them down the generations."

As a result of the refurbishment – which has expanded the overall gallery space by around 35 per cent – the public will be able to see many items that have never been displayed before.

There are now six gallery areas: North Gallery (ancient civilisations), East Galleries (bringing the outside inside), Central Galleries (a riot of vivid colour), South Galleries (the properties of glass), South East Galler (ancient and modern narratives) and Makers Galleries (a range of historical and contemporary craftspeople).

The refurbishment was designed by architects John McAslan + Partners.

"Our work has repaired the building’s decaying envelope, markedly improves building services and energy efficiency, and allows a significantly larger selection of the Collection to be exhibited," the architects said in a statement.

"The transformation includes significant volumetric and layout interventions, internally, to create new learning spaces, open access storage, special exhibition areas, an updated café and retail facilities."