'I think Burrell would be happy his collection still inspires' - famous Glasgow museum to reopen

“I used to volunteer at Pollok House, helping to run school tours, and I got to know Pollok Park really well,” she explains. “I’d look at the Burrell and think – that must be an amazing place to work.

“I got the job as assistant curator in 2016 and have worked full time on the Burrell ever since. It feels like things have come full circle in a way, back to where it all started for me.”

The Burrell is home to one of the world’s greatest personal art collections, amassed by Sir William and his wife Lady Constance over a period of 75 years and given to the city of Glasgow in 1944. In 1983, it finally found a home in a purpose-built museum in Pollok Park. For the last five-and-a-half years, the building has been closed for renovations to the tune of almost £69 million, but on Tuesday (March 29) the ‘new’ Burrell – refurbished, redesigned and reinvented – finally opens its doors.

The doors, in fact, are a somewhat prickly subject, depending upon who you talk to. There are now three entrances instead of just one. This caused consternation among fans of the original stone archway (which is still there) who do not enjoy the addition of a large, glazed ‘piazza’ and atrium, and separate café entrance.

Duncan Dornan, head of museums and collections for Glasgow Life, who run the Burrell, argues the change was necessary.

“Our aim was to improve physical and intellectual access to the collection,” he explains, on a short tour of the building as final preparations are made before the grand public unveiling. “Visitor numbers had fallen, and we did a lot of audience research into why that was the case - what were the barriers stopping people coming to the Burrell? One of them was the entranceway. People found it intimidating, and it was a long walk to the galleries and the objects themselves.”

He adds: “You had to walk almost the full length of the building just to get to the café – you could see it, from the park, but you couldn’t get in.”

Other changes include the creation of a new central stairway, allowing visitors to access the lower floor of the building for the first time, where they can watch items not on display being cared for. Similarly, new galleries have been created on the upper floors, giving access to areas never before open to the public.

There are more than 200 grand tapestries and carpets in the Burrell Collection, as well as Chinese pottery and porcelain produced over a 5000-year period, making it one of the most significant collections of Chinese art in Europe; paintings by renowned French artists including Manet, Cézanne and Degas; medieval treasures such as arms and armour; Roman and Egyptian antiquities; sculptures by Rodin; and exquisite stained glass.

In total, 225 displays will spread across 24 galleries, displaying 35 per cent more of the collection than before. The displays include innovative digital elements such as video walls, interactive games and hybrid systems created to help people engage with the stories behind the collection

“Digital interpretation adds depth and provides more methods for people to engage with the collection,” says Duncan. Suggestions that the digital offering ‘dumbs down’ the museum misses the point, he explains.

“We all learn in different ways, and films, interactive exhibits, tactile labels – these are all designed to improve access,” he says. “We want everyone to find a way into the collection.”

Laura Bauld is curating the Burrell’s first exhibition, which will open later in the year.

“It is about Sir William Burrell as a person, and the story of his decision to donate the collection to Glasgow in 1944,” she says.

“He kept collecting, right up until his death in 1958 – he added something like 2000 objects on top of the 6000 he had already donated. The exhibition will provide some insight into the man, and the collector, why this building was located here, and how we as a city were given this amazing gift.”

What Sir William would make of the ‘Burrell renaissance’, is the “million dollar question”, agrees Laura.

“He donated the collection to the people of Glasgow, to inspire them,” she says, thoughtfully. “What he’d think of all the whizz-bang technology, I don’t know, but I think he would be happy that his collection is still being used, so many years later, to inspire a new generation.”

With the emphasis on flexible displays, increased access and a storytelling approach, even regular visitors will always be able to find something new, Duncan Dornan points out.

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“We now have flexibility to change objects quickly and easily, and staff can alter digital elements themselves, so the collection can keep evolving,” he adds.

“It is a very considered collection – Burrell was wealthy, but he was up against some serious collectors, so he had to work hard to make sure he got the best for what he could afford. There is so much surprise in it, and it’s great fun. “

He adds, smiling: “You really don’t know what you will see around the next corner, and that is quite wonderful.”