Glasgow City Council’s Contracts and Property Committee has confirmed Kier Construction Scotland as the preferred bidder to deliver the Main Building Contract to take forward the Burrell Collection’s ambitious refurbishment plans.

The Burrell Collection said the appointment marks the next phase of the development, which will see the sensitive repair of the building envelope, renewal of the building services, the creation of a new internal access core and refurbishment of the museum’s interiors along with external landscaping.

Glasgow City Council have agreed to fund up to 50 per cent of the overall project cost, which means that more than 94 per cent has already been raised including £15m from the National Lottery Fund.

The latest donations to the Burrell Renaissance campaign for the project totalled 1.4m from four major supporters: The Wolfson Foundation and The Headley Trust each pledged £500,000; the Gannochy Trust £250,000 and The Taylor Family Foundation has pledged £150,000.

“The refurbishment of the Burrell Collection will unlock the great potential of Sir William’s incredible gift to the city and the appointment of Keir Construction as the main contractor is a significant milestone,” said Coun David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council. “We are protecting and enhancing the Collection for the current and future generations – and creating a home for these treasures which, in its location at the heart of Pollok Country Park, is nothing short of exceptional.”

Plans for the refurbishment and redisplay of the Burrell Collection will see the museum’s public space increase by 83 per cent and gallery space increase by 35 per cent with store rooms on the lower ground floor open to the public for the first time. As well as improved facilities including café and retail opportunities, landscaped terraces will link the museum to its parkland setting, enhancing the visitor experience.

A re-interpretation of the collections will also allow curators to better tell the story of their importance and how they were collected, with an increase in artworks on display across the museum’s collections.

Procurement for the Burrell’s visitor experience contract will take place later this year.

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