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Burrell Collection named Scotland’s building of the year
Glasgow museum wins top Rias award for redevelopment that 'rejuvenated an old friend'
The Burrell Collection has been announced as the winner of the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (Rias).
The Glasgow venue, which is run by the Glasgow Life trust on behalf of the city council, reopened in 2022 after a £68.25m refurbishment.
The 1983 building, originally designed by Barry Gasson, John Meunier and Brit Andresen, was comprehensively redeveloped by John McAslan + Partner in a project that entailed repairing the Grade A listed building, upgrading its environmental performance and finding ways to enable more of the collection to be displayed.
The result was described by the Doolan Award judges as “an outstanding example of problem-solving and future-proofing that has rejuvenated an old friend”.
The judges said they were particularly impressed by how John McAslan + Partners’ “respectful and deferential approach” transformed the building without losing its architectural integrity.
In addition to a significant increase in available space for curation and public displays, a series of approachable new entrances had contributed towards a more accessible visitor experience, the judges found.
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The museum can now accommodate larger visitor groups and has improved connections to the surrounding park. It is welcoming new and returning audiences as a result, the judges found.
The Doolan Award judges said that John McAslan + Partners’ refurbishment of the Burrell Collection “makes a bold declaration about the role of architecture – a renewed confidence and belief in it – at a time when Glasgow and Scotland’s creative and cultural industries are in peril”.
Announcing the award, Rias said: “US architect Carl Elefante coined the phrase ‘the greenest building is one that is already built’, and the retrofit of the Burrell Collection is an outstanding example of how an existing building can be adapted successfully.
“Today, thanks to the £68.25m Burrell Renaissance Project, the museum is more sustainable, more accessible, and more flexible, making the building better equipped to preserve and display its world-class collection, and to be used in multiple ways to appeal to audiences old and new.”
The annual Doolan Award is named in memory of its founder and patron, the architect and developer Andrew Doolan, who died in 2004. The award is supported by the Scottish Government.
The award is assessed by an expert jury who visit each of the shortlisted buildings – drawn from the winners of each year’s Rias Awards – and look at projects’ architectural integrity, usability and context, delivery and execution, and sustainability.
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The 2024 jury was chaired by David Kohn, director of David Kohn Architects, alongside author and journalist Gabriella Bennett and Rias president Karen Anderson.
All types of building are eligible for the award, with previous winners including a house within a remote Ayrshire ruin, an office in a Cairngorms forest clearing and a whisky distillery.
Anderson said: “I’m delighted that the Burrell Collection has been named as the winner of this year’s Rias Doolan Award. In the skilled hands of John McAslan + Partners, one of Scotland’s architectural gems has been given a new lease of life – saving the building and its incredible collection, and making the museum greener and more welcoming to its thousands of visitors.
“It is a fantastic example of how an existing building can be adapted to address new and future needs, and is unquestionably this year’s best building in Scotland.”
The Burrell Collection said in a social media post: "We are delighted to share the news that the Burrell Collection has been awarded the 2024 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award!
"Thank you to the judges for recognising all that the Burrell refurbishment has achieved so far."
The Burrell Collection has won several awards since it reopened, including Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023.
Museum, gallery and heritage architecture recognised in 2024
A look at the cultural heritage institutions that have won architectural awards this year
National Portrait Gallery, London
- Architect: Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell
- Awards: Riba London Award 2024 and Riba National Award 2024; shortlisted for the Riba Stirling Prize 2024
The National Portrait Gallery won several accolades for a significant transformation aimed at enhancing the visitor experience and revitalising its historic spaces. It was pipped to the post for this year’s Stirling Prize by London’s Elizabeth Line.
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley
- Architect: Napier Clarke Architects
- Award: Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) West Midlands Award 2024
The open-air museum was recognised for its new entrance building, which includes a visitor centre with café, shop, offices, and welfare facilities.
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
- Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
- Awards: Riba West Midlands Award 2024, Riba West Midlands Client of the Year 2024, Riba West Midlands Project Architect of the Year 2024, Riba West Midlands Conservation Award 2024, Riba West Midlands Building of the Year 2024, Riba National Award 2024
The 18th-century flaxmill, which is described as the “grandparent of skyscrapers”, was recognised for a sustainable refurbishment that included the creation of a visitor centre and flexible workspaces.
Clifford’s Tower, York
- Architect: Hugh Broughton Architects and Martin Ashley Architects
- Awards: Riba Yorkshire Award 2024, Riba Conservation Award 2024 and Riba Client of the Year 2024
Clifford’s Tower, a remnant of the 11th-century York’s Royal Castle, was awarded for a conservation and restoration project that transformed a “dilapidated shell into an engaging and informative visitor experience”.
Skipton Town Hall, North Yorkshire
- Architect: LDN Architects
- Award: Riba Yorkshire Award 2024
Skipton Town Hall, which houses the award-winning Craven Museum, was acknowledged for a redevelopment that “brought an old but much-loved historic building back into the centre of Skipton’s cultural life”.
Gainsborough’s House Museum, Suffolk
- Architect: ZMMA
- Awards: Riba East Award 2024, Riba East Conservation Award 2024, and Riba East Building of the Year 2024
The museum, located in the historic home of 18th-century artist Thomas Gainsborough in Sudbury, won for a transformative project that saw a “significant regional and national museum emerge from the adaptation of what was previously a small, local resource”.
Bath Abbey Footprint Project
- Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
- Awards: Riba South West and Wessex Award 2024, Riba South West and Wessex Conservation Award 2024 and Riba National Award 2024
Bath Abbey was praised for its Footprint Project, which repaired and remodelled the interior of the Abbey, as well as creating new learning and music spaces.
Auckland Castle, Tower and Faith Museum, Durham
- Architect: Níall McLaughlin Architects
- Awards: Riba North East Award 2024, Riba North East Conservation Award 2024, Riba North East Building of the Year Award 2024 and Riba National Award 2024
Auckland Castle, a Grade I listed medieval episcopal palace, received a number of accolades for its ongoing redevelopment, which has seen the refurbishment of the castle and the creation of the new Tower and Faith Museum.
Hay Castle, Hay-on-Wye
- Architect: Mica Architects
- Awards: Royal Society of Architects of Wales (RSAW) Award 2024, RSAW Conservation Award 2024 and RSAW Building of the Year 2024
The 900-year-old castle was recognised for a major conservation-led renovation and repair project, which included contemporary interventions to bring the castle back to life and for public benefit.
Plas Glyn-y Weddw Arts Centre Cafe, north-west Wales
- Architect: Mark Wray Architects, Sanderson Sculptures and Fold Engineering
- Awards: RSAW Award 2024, RIBA Client of the Year 2024, and shortlisted for the Stephen Lawrence Prize 2024
Wales’s oldest art gallery won several awards for its new cafe, which provides “a striking marine-inspired contrast to the listed structure”.
The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
- Architect: Reiach and Hall Architects
- Award: Rias National Award 2024
This gallery was recognised for a refurbishment and extension project that brought a neighbouring warehouse building into use.