April 29 2013

Stalled plans to rework Aberdeen’s A listed Art Gallery to increase and improve gallery space have been given a shot in the arm following the award of a £10m grant toward the £30m project by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Aberdeen City Council will stump up a further £10m for the scheme, sourced from its non-housing capital budget, with the remainder expected to be obtained through other grant funding as well as corporate, philanthropic and personal support. 

This will enable work to proceed on the construction of a Gareth Hoskins Architects designed rooftop gallery, increasing space for temporary and touring exhibitions by 50% and transform the venue into a cultural centre over the next four years by enhancing the visitor experience and refurbishing the War Memorial and Cowdray Hall.

An additional £3m will be set aside by ACC to finance a separate public Museums Collections Centre, which will house artworks during the remodelling process.

Council chief Valerie Watts said: "The redevelopment will allow the city's outstanding collections of fine and decorative art to be displayed to greatest effect and a new suite of temporary exhibition galleries will house large scale international exhibitions. Two dedicated spaces for schools and the community will increase the opportunities for people to engage with the collections and events programme and be inspired by Aberdeen's culture and history.

"It will also integrate the Art Gallery and Cowdray Hall more effectively, creating an unparalleled opportunity to connect art and music on a single site.

Work on the scheme is expected to commence in the first half of 2015 for completion by summer 2017.

© Reproduced with permission from Gareth Hoskins Architects
These images are for illustration purposes only and do not indicate the finalised design

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