The multi-million pound revamp of one of Scotland's leading museums, the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, has received a major boost from the National Lottery.
The £15m pledge from the Heritage Lottery Fund goes towards the £66m cost of the redevelopment of the museum, in the south side of the city in Pollok Park.
Glasgow City Council has agreed to fund up to 50 per cent of the overall project cost.
The Burrell Renaissance fund-raising drive says it has raised over 80% of the project costs to date.
Chair of Glasgow Life, Councillor David McDonald, said, “I would like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund for its endorsement of the Burrell Collection’s ambitious refurbishment and redisplay.
“The Heritage Lottery Fund has supported the development of Glasgow Museums for almost two decades and its significant investment has played a vital role in the success and growth of the city’s cultural offer. "With HLF’s support and commitment, the Burrell Collection is once again a catalyst for change, driving regeneration of the historic and cultural heritage of Pollok Country Park, greatly enhancing the wider cultural offer Southside of Glasgow and playing an important role in the city’s growing tourism offer by contributing to the economic impact tourism brings to the city.”
The revamp has seen the museum closed.
The museum, which opened in 1983 and is A-listed, will receive a completely new roof - fixing one of the building's main problems of water ingress - new glazing, and a major internal development which will open up two extra floors to the public.
When it re-opens the museum will be able to display more than 90 per cent of the 9,000-strong collection collected by Sir William Burrell and gifted to the city in 1944.
Seona Reid, Deputy Chair of HLF, said the Burrell Collection is "one of the greatest gifts ever given to a city and the seed that helped Glasgow grow into the thriving cultural centre it is today."
Sir Angus Grossart, Chair of Burrell Renaissance, said, “The Heritage Lottery Fund’s decision to support the renaissance of the Burrell Collection is a wonderful endorsement of our plans to liberate the great potential of Sir William’s gift.
"We need to provide a home worthy for this generation, of this incredible collection and its influence."
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