Date set for reopening Glasgow's world-famous Burrell Collection
The museum has undergone a £68m refurbishment
Last updated 3rd Sep 2021
The doors of the museum holding Glasgow’s historic Burrell Collection will be open for the first time in six and a half years in March 2022.
The £68m project to refurbish the A-listed building set in Pollok Country Park is drawing to a close and the artworks are being moved back inside.
Work began in 2018 with repairs to the roof and the installation of modern glazing making the building more air-tight, reducing its overall energy consumption.
A new entrance will bring visitors straight into the heart of the building and a newly created central stairway will encourage people to explore all three floors.
What is the Burrell Collection?
In 1944 Sir William Burrell and Constance, Lady Burrell gave their collection of 9,000 works of art collected from around the world to Glasgow City Council.
The gift was described at the time as: “One of the greatest gifts ever made to any city in the world.”
Plans for a museum to display it in were proposed in 1969 but it wasn’t until 1983 that it was opened by Her Majesty,The Queen
The Burrell Collection attracted 1 million visitors in its first year.
Highlights include Chinese pottery and porcelain produced over a 5,000-year period; paintings by renowned French artists including Manet, Cézanne and Degas; Medieval treasures including stained glass, arms and armour and over 200 tapestries and carpets, which are among the finest in the world.
"At the heart of Glasgow’s cultural identity"
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life, and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “It’s wonderful to see that the installation of Sir William’s precious, beautiful and intriguing Collection has begun, now the delicate refurbishment of its home is almost at an end.
“This major refurbishment and redisplay will celebrate Sir William’s outstanding gift to the city and ensures it is at the heart of Glasgow’s cultural identity for the future, and having much more of The Collection on display and accessible will be one of its immediate successes.
Scottish Government Culture Minister, Jenny Gilruth, said: “I am pleased that one of the great cultural destinations in Scotland, Glasgow’s Burrell Collection, will be re-opening next year after a significant refurbishment.
“Supported by £5.75 million in Scottish Government funding, this ambitious project will ensure the building is not only modernised and made more energy efficient, but will be more accessible to the public for years to come, and with a greatly expanded exhibition space.
“As we recover from the pandemic, this reopening of this nationally important museum is a reminder of how important culture is to all our lives.”