Event, the experience design agency, is celebrating the reopening of Glasgow’s Burrell Collection on 29 March 2022.
This international fine and decorative art collection features a wide range of treasures from medieval stained glass and ancient Chinese ceramics to Islamic carpets and French paintings. The collection, which was gifted to the city by Sir William Burrell, is housed in an award-winning modernist building in Pollock Country Park.
The museum closed for refurbishment in October 2016 and is now welcoming visitors once more. Event is responsible for taking this project from the overall masterplan for the renewal through to the design of the exhibitions
Creating a masterplan
The first step was to create a new masterplan, setting out a vision for a new chapter that would bring the museum up to date while still honouring and taking inspiration from Barry Gasson, John Meunier and Brit Andresen’s iconic architecture. In order to achieve this, Event brought together a consultant team of architects, engineers, access consultants and audience specialists.
The masterplan outlined ways to increase the gallery spaces by 35% and to open up a new central core connecting three levels of galleries. It also set out how to open a set of new perspectives on the collections and to create new opportunities for communities and groups to use the spaces.
The masterplan supported a number of funding applications and formed the basis for the architectural and interpretive briefs.
In designing the exhibitions, Event responded to the original architecture, as well as the peaceful country park setting, to present a classic, understated design, as Phaedra Corrigan, design lead, explains:
“A series of windows give views out of the building, framing the objects to create moments of calm, where the eyes can rest between close inspection of artefacts. As the light changes outside, spilling into the interior space, the collections become animated.
“It has been a pleasure to respond to the palette used by the original architects, creating a sympathetic language for the new displays that is equally pure and elegant. Sourcing stone from the original quarry, using crisper white glass and integrating reflective surfaces all contributed to achieving that critical listed building consent.”
One critic, Mike Wade of The Times, responded to the design by reflecting that: “Being inside was like walking in the trees.”
Accessibility and sustainability were key factors
Event’s design features subtle interpretation which allows the museum’s collection to speak to itself. Tactile and hands-on displays allow users to connect with the artworks as they learn about their history and their significance.
There is also a range of digital technology used in the displays, which is designed to engage with the museum’s younger visitors. In fact, a quarter of the digital displays are aimed at children aged five and under. This includes a range of presentations from tablet-based information to 16-metre wide immersive video projections.
While the previous layout showed only 20% of the collection, the reopened Burrell Collection has two new floors of gallery space and 55% of the collection is now accessible in the galleries, plus visitors can see into the stores.
To boost the museum’s sustainability, Event has introduced a flexible new display system. This has interchangeable elements attached to repeating base modules, meaning that the Burrell Collection can continue reinterpreting objects for decades to come.
Event also recently worked with the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen to create a new exhibition, The Raid, in just 12 months. This centres around Roskilde 6, the largest Viking warship of its kind in the world.
Top image courtesy of Event
