The Burrell Collection, a Glaswegian gallery refurbished by John McAslan & Partners, has been named as Scotland’s building of the year.
The Burrell Collection in Glasgow has been named as the 2024 winner of the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
One of Scotland’s most important museums, the Burrell Collection was originally designed by Barry Gasson, John Meunier and Brit Andresen – a triad of young architects from Cambridge, who had won commission following an international design competition. The museum opened in 1983 and is now Grade A listed. McAslan + Partners’ work on the project is the most significant change to the building since then and the Doolan Award judges remarked that the refurbishment “makes a bold declaration about the role of architecture – a renewed confidence and belief in it – at a time when Glasgow and Scotland’s creative and cultural industries are in peril.”
Post pandemic, the Burrell takes on renewed relevance, not only responding to an increased longing for culture following successive lockdowns, but also to our greater understanding of the benefits of being connected to nature and the sense of relief and nourishment that being immersed in the landscape can offer.”
– Jennifer O’Donnell.
Read O’Donnell’s review of the building here.
The 2024 RIAS Doolan Award was chaired by David Kohn (director, David Kohn Architects) who was joined on the jury by author and journalist Gabriella Bennett and RIAS president Karen Anderson.
“I’m delighted that the Burrell Collection has been named as the winner of this year’s RIAS Doolan Award,” said Anderson. “In the skilled hands of John McAslan + Partners, one of Scotland’s architectural gems has been given a new lease of life – saving the building and its incredible collection, and making the museum greener and more welcoming to its thousands of visitors. It is a fantastic example of how an existing building can be adapted to address new and future needs, and is unquestionably this year’s best building in Scotland.”
Additional images
