The Burrell Collection is one of the United Kingdom’s greatest cultural assets: an exquisite modernist building housing over 9,000 objects spanning 6,000 years, including Chinese ceramics, Islamic metalwork and Expressionist art. Donated to Glasgow by shipping magnate Sir William Burrell in 1944, the collection was eventually housed in a purpose-built museum within Pollok Country Park. Designed by Cambridge academic Barry Gasson, Brit Andresen and John Meunier following a competition, and completed by Gasson in 1983, it was premised on the desire to create intimate connections between art, architecture and nature.

Set on the edge of a sloping meadow ringed by woodland, the building presses its glazed north facade against the tree line, so that slender concrete columns and timber vaults merge with surrounding chestnuts and sycamores. In contrast, weighty sandstone walls form narrow galleries inside, and a barn-like entrance wing that extends to the south.

While the Burrell initially enjoyed great success, by 2015 annual attendance had fallen sharply, and the structure struggled with water ingress, outdated facilities and limited display capacity. A five-year renovation was undertaken to upgrade environmental performance, improve accessibility and revitalise the visitor experience. The design approach sought to respect the building’s architectural character while preparing it for a sustainable future.

Intensive repair with a light touch
Renovation began with a fundamental overhaul of the building envelope. Single-glazed curtain walling, prone to solar gain and heat loss, was replaced with high-performance double glazing. Original aluminium glazing bars were retained and upcycled to respect the building’s Category A-listed status. 

The flat roof, originally constructed in stainless steel, was entirely rebuilt using a standing-seam system, improving insulation and vapour control while preserving its appearance. A high level of airtightness helped to meet BREEAM Excellent environmental standards. To supplement the ‘fabric-first’ approach to energy conservation, rooftop photovoltaic panels supply renewable energy.

Opening up the Burrell
Internal reorganisation was guided by the client’s ambition to make ‘the most accessible museum in the world’, and by public consultation which highlighted two objectives: meet the expectations of contemporary museum-goers; and improve connections to the park.

One deterrent to visitors identified in the brief was the slow, processional approach through the original entrance wing. JMP was able to argue that it should not be closed entirely, and that an additional entrance in the glazed facade should be seamlessly integrated rather than overtly expressed. 

The new entrance allows easy, step-free access from the park. Grass terraces in front of the building provide space to relax; on the upper level a broad piazza leads to sliding doors in the glazed south facade, and on into the heart of the museum.

Reorganisation within the Burrell eased movement through the narrow galleries and increased display space by a third. Additional capacity supports a new thematic curatorial approach, in which multimedia displays give historic context to artworks. 

The most notable alteration involved replacing a rarely-used ground-floor lecture hall, enclosed by dimly lit hallways. In their place, a bright, triple-height ‘agora’ doubles as an informal auditorium and a central point for navigation, transforming vertical connection within the building. New staircases connect it to classrooms above, and areas for art accession and collection care below, which are open to visitors for the first time.

Limited on-site storage had required three-quarters of the collection to reside off-site, impacting the potential for display rotation. With the museum’s entire collection now kept within the building, and measures to improve the ease of rotation, over half of the holdings are now on display.