Glasgow’s Burrell Collection to reopen in March

The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park, Glasgow, will reopen to the public on 29 March after a major refurbishment that began six years ago, slowed by the pandemic.

Run by the charity Glasgow Life, the Burrell Collection closed in 2016 in preparation for the redevelopment, which has cost £68.25m.

Nearly half of the funding was committed by Glasgow City Council and more than a quarter came from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with significant donations from the Scottish Government, the UK Government, and many trusts and private donors. 

The redisplay has been developed with 15,000 local people who were engaged in the process. The refurbishment has increased gallery space by 35%, meaning more objects from the collection can go on display, many of which have not been on view for decades, or have never been on permanent display. A new central stairway allows visitors access to the lower floor for the first time, where they can see conservation in progress.

A new temporary exhibition space and galleries have been created on the building’s upper floors, taking visitors to spaces they have not been able to access before. 

The new digital offer includes 19 large-scale video walls, 13 hybrid interactives, eight digital “totems” (2m high screens with films), 12 digital labels, 28 newly created documentary films, accessible in 10 languages and 12 manual interactives. 

Architects John McAslan + Partners, appointed in 2016, are the refurbishment project’s architect and landscape designers. The exhibition design company Event was also appointed in 2016 to develop the visitor experience and to design and deliver the exhibition displays.  

The revamped Burrell, which first opened to the public in 1983, has a much smaller carbon footprint. The museum’s environmental performance has been enhanced by a new roof, glazing and cladding, and by replacing power, heating and lighting systems with more efficient and sustainable technologies.   

The changes made to the fabric of the building to make it more airtight and watertight, along with new glazing, make it far less susceptible to changes in heat, and the upgrades of plant and systems mean the building is much more efficient.

Situated within Glasgow’s largest green space, Pollok Country Park, the project has also taken in a revamp of these surroundings. Paths and roads have been improved, and benches, new signage and barriers restricting vehicles through the centre of the park have been installed. There are also new electric vehicle chargers and electric shuttle bus stops, while NextBike bikes and e-bikes will prioritise active travel.  

Frances Fowle, senior trustee of Sir William Burrell’s Trust, said: “Reimagining The Burrell Collection has been an exciting and challenging undertaking, and the results have surpassed all our expectations. Works of art are now arranged across three floors of the elegant, newly-refurbished building, giving them room to breathe.

“Not only are many more items on display, those normally hidden from view will now be accessible via a state-of-the art open store. Local and international visitors will be introduced to new and intriguing aspects of the collection through its multimedia interpretation. There is a fascinating world of beauty and craftsmanship to be discovered when the Burrell Collection reopens.”  

John McAslan, the executive chair of John McAslan + Partners, said: “This project has transformed the building and its setting, within the context of its Grade A listing, to make it more sustainable and environmentally secure whilst retaining and enhancing its original architecture, offering additional gallery space and improving access to ensure a far greater proportion of the Collection can be enjoyed by all.” 

The Burrell Collection was donated to the City of Glasgow by Sir William and Constance, Lady Burrell in 1944 and reflects their lifelong passion for art and history. The 9,000-strong collection spans six millennia, ranging from prehistoric artefacts to works by impressionist painters such as Manet and Degas.