Issue 38 Summer web 23 - Flipbook - Page 9
The Burrell Collection
In March 2022, the Burrell Collection reopened its doors after six years of closure and a
£68.25 million refurbishment.
The project began in August 2018 and the BECK team
subsequently spent three and a half years refurbishing
36 galleries & increasing the size of the museum by
35%. The project included display plinths, bespoke AV
housings, barriers, graphic support structures and
specialist substrates, integrated display component
lighting and control, plus electrical and data cabling
throughout.
Phase one
Phase one of the project involved a year of intensive
prototyping by the BECK Design Development team.
Technical Manager, Simon Hand explains: “Our client
wanted the galleries to be futureproofed and the ability to
make changes to individual displays later on. In time
galleries get redesigned and this was particularly key for
this project. The collection is large and unable to be
displayed as whole, all the time.”
History
The collection, of almost 9000 objects, was gifted to the
city of Glasgow in 1944 by Sir William Burrell & his wife
Lady Constance. It takes visitors on a tour of 50 countries
across 6000 years of history, from 4000 BC to the turn of
the 20th century. A key condition of bequeathing the
collection was a stipulation Sir William made, that it must
remain housed in one building.
It was clear from the beginning that the client wanted a
completely modular system which could be re-designed
and repurposed in the future. The team took the design
intent reflected in the tender drawings and developed a
unique display component system with fully compatible,
bespoke fabricated, modular parts. These innovative
‘building blocks’ achieved the museum’s objectives and
are able to be reconfigured and bolted together in a variety
of ways. This allows them to be completely repurposed for
the future and the collection to be reorganised a limitless
number of times.
In 2013, The Burrell Collection was listed as a building
of special architectural and historical interest by
Historic Environment Scotland. Being listed as Category
A showed its importance internationally, as well as
nationally. However, in recent years, deteriorating
environment conditions affected the housing of the
collection and saw a drop in visitor numbers. The extensive
redesign of the building was influenced by a public
consultation with 15,000 Glaswegians. Greater space,
energy efficiency, digital and interactive displays now
enhance the visitor experience. Many objects from the
collection, which have never been on permanent display,
or remained in storage for decades, are now displayed for
viewing.
Phase two
In September 2019, phase two of the project began with
the final design development and fabrication being
worked on, off site, as the base build works took place on
site.
Unfortunately, the global pandemic, which began
in March 2020, delayed the base build works and
subsequently the BECK team beginning on site. In order
to minimise further delays for the client, our team began
works on site before the base build was concluded,
working around the team at Kier wherever possible.
Below, exterior of Burrell, Photograph by Radubradu
Conservation & Heritage Journal
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