The Burrell Collection stands as one of Europe’s finest museums and is among the rare Class A post-war buildings in Scotland. Its collection hall showcases approximately 9,000 exquisite and decorative artworks, spanning an impressive 6,000 years of history.
In 1983, the Burrell Collection found its home in a widely acclaimed museum building designed by three young Cambridge architects and scholars: Barry Gasson, Brit Andresen, and John Meunier. This innovative 20th-century structure features materials such as red Dumfrieshire sandstone, polished concrete, stainless steel, wood, and glass. It is nestled within Pollok Country Park, just 4 miles from the center of Glasgow.
In 2016, Glasgow Life—a charity representing Glasgow City Council that offers cultural, sports, and educational activities—appointed John McAslan+Partners as the architect and landscape designer to lead a comprehensive five-year renovation and enhancement project for the museum.
The architects collaborated with specialist teams to focus on three primary goals: restoring the building seamlessly while enhancing its environmental performance through a “structure first” renovation approach; strengthening the building’s park environment; and thoughtfully opening selected interior areas to highlight horizontal and vertical circulation within the gallery space, thus significantly increasing the display capacity for the collection.
The design proposal includes a new, separate entrance to the east of the original, preserved entryway, accessible from the adjacent paved square. This addition enhances the natural environment and visitor experience. Visitors can relax, picnic, and enjoy the ambiance radiating from the café located at the southeast corner of the site.
Furthermore, the architects introduced a new directional block adjacent to the entrance sequence that connects the museum with the mezzanine gallery above and the newly opened garden floor below. The garden level presently houses exhibition and event galleries linked to visible art storage areas, studios, a refreshed café, and views extending into the park.
John McAslan+Partners also crafted the landscape design for the Burrell Collection Museum, led by Andy Harris, director of the firm’s Landscape and Urban Design Studio. Harris explained, “The relationship between architecture, parks, and forests was a key expression in the original 1980s design proposals. We have honored this vision in the landscape renewal, carefully integrating new elements to engage a new generation of visitors.”
Regarding the gallery spaces, visitors encounter collections organized thematically, with immersive narrative techniques guiding the museum’s curation. This new design has expanded gallery space by 35% compared to previous arrangements. Most collections are now available for direct viewing, employing a rotating storage system.
The renovated Burrell Collection Museum has earned an excellent BREEAM rating, ranking it within the top 10% of energy-efficient buildings in the UK—an outstanding accomplishment for the renovation and preservation of a Class A listed structure.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Basement Floor Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Third Floor Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Structural Detail Drawing
△ Structural Detail Drawing
△ Structural Detail Drawing
△ Structural Detail Drawing
△ Sectional Perspective
Project Information
Architect: John McAslan+Partners
Area: 1,325,313,253.0 square meters
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Hufton + Crow
Suppliers: Barrisol, CMS, Guthrie Douglas, Hunter Douglas Architectural (Europe), Kingspan Insulated Panels, Lazenby, Optima, Ronacrete
Lead Architect: John McAslan
Project Manager: Paul East
Design Team: Chris Ravenscroft, Heather Macey, Katherine Watts, Tom Roberts, Paddy Pugh, Hannah Lawson
Landscape Design Manager: Andy Harris
Landscape Design Team: Celia Guerreiro, Kit Bullas, Kevin Simpson
Owner: Glasgow Life
Fire Protection Engineer: Atelier 10
Facade Consultant: Oyana
Structural Design: David Narro Associates
Main Contractor: Kier
Project Manager: Gardiner & Theobald
Acoustic Consultant: Sandy Brown Acoustics
Accessibility Consultant: David Bonnett Associates
Exhibition Design: EVENT Communication
Catering Consultant: Jo Headland
Retail Consultant: Seeking State
Guide Design Consultant: Studio LR
Location: Glasgow, UK
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