The Burrell Collection in Glasgow reopens to the public at 10am on Tuesday 29 March. The home of the Collection has been undergoing a major refurbishment and the museum closed on 23 October 2016.
This is about the refurbishment, the collection and upcoming events to celebrate the reopening.
I visited the Burrell Collection way back in 1987 as part of the UK Field Trip for my MBA Degree at the London Business School. We were visiting Glasgow as an example of a city which was busy reinventing itself and creating a new image for the future.
First impressions were stunning. Its location in a grassy glade surrounded by woodland within the Pollok Country Park - and the extent of the glass which revealed the collection to visitors before they even got inside were stunning. I was very impressed to see ancient glass and architectural elements embedded into the very contemporary building.
I remember looking at the collection from outside and then looking out at the trees from inside.
I also remember it was a very confusing museum to love around - something which is addressed by the refurbishment.
About the Burrell Collection
The Burrell Collection is a museum in Glasgow, Scotland, managed by Glasgow Museums. It houses the internationally significant art collection of Sir William Burrell and Constance, Lady Burrell.- one man's collection of more than 9,000 objects spanning six millennia
- it includes
- an important collection of medieval art including exquisite stained glass and intricate tapestries, oak furniture, medieval weapons and armour,
- Islamic art,
- artefacts from ancient civilisations
- an impressive collection of Chinese pottery and porcelain produced over a 5,000-year period, making it one of the most significant collections of Chinese Art in Europe;
- Impressionist works by Degas and Cézanne,
- modern sculpture
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| The Red Ballet Skirts (c.1900) by Edgar Hilaire Germain Degas (pastel) |
The refurbishment
The redevelopment of The Burrell Collection has been an impressive undertaking that has delivered a spectacular home for this unique collection. The additional gallery space has vastly increased the areas for display, enabling visitors to see and appreciate much more of the Collection, reinterpreted through the most modern and sophisticated technology.
Key features of the five year refurbishment are as follows:
- a comprehensive consulation programme which engaged with more than 15,000 local people who gave their ideas, insights and opinions.
- the refurbishment has cost £68.25 million
- it's an exemplar of sustainable low carbon design making it a green museum which has improved the environmental performance and sustainability of the building
- the museum has greatly expanded exhibition space - it has increased by 35%
- which will be more accessible to the public; and
- show more of the Collection to visitors - resulting in a total 225 displays which will be spread across 24 galleries.
- new displays reimagined in partnership with the local community
- displays which include innovative digital elements such as video walls, interactives and hybrid systems created to help people engage with the stories behind the Collection.
- makers galleries which are dedicated to the people behind the objects and the techniques and skills that go in to making them
- European tapestries and carpets in the East Galleries
- ancient and the modern narratives and landscapes from across the globe found in tapestries, watercolours, oil paintings, ceramics and textiles in the south east galleries
- two (south) galleries which explore glass and its different properties
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