Annual visitor numbers to the Burrell Collection have increased nearly 300% since the museum secured funding and transformed the visitor experience through an inclusive design approach.
Having previously thrived, visitor numbers were low and dropping in 2022. The museum was seen as irrelevant to Glasgow’s diverse communities, and the Burrell Collection urgently needed investment to repair its failing building and protect the collections it contained.
Glasgow Life engaged Museum Studio to collaborate on a design and architecture masterplan and funding bid, which boldly demonstrated a design-led transformation of the museum’s visitor experience.
This secured a record-breaking £16.5million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to radically reimagine the museum space. A seamless visitor journey was created embedding multi-sensory and interactive exhibits, with 95% of visitors recommending the new experience and 78% intending to return. The museum is now enticing to a broad audience, attracting more diverse visitors, with 50% of local visitors now coming from Glasgow’s most deprived areas.
