Glasgow museum People's Palace to close for 16 months as part of major £36m refurbishment

The People’s Palace is set to close for a major multi-million pound refurbishment in the spring.

The Glasgow museum is to temporarily shut for around 16 months from Sunday April 14.

Charity Glasgow Life has launched its ‘last chance to see’ campaign urging locals and visitors to the city to visit the museum over the next eight weeks.

A total of £36m has been invested in the project to renovate the museum and its Winter Gardens.

Set in Glasgow Green, the building is home to collections documenting the city’s social history from 1750 to the present day.

Highlights include an opportunity to reminisce about Glasgow past at the single end, Steamie and Buttercup Dairy displays.

For others, prized objects include the bright Barrowland sign, and iconic banana boots worn by Billy Connolly.

Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said: “Having received the National Lottery Heritage Fund award last month we are keen to get started revitalising the People’s Place and Winter Gardens.

“It’s what the local community have been calling for. Like them we are eager to move forward with our vision to reimagine the whole place and create a dynamic community-led museum and flexible space, which will foster new ways to promote inclusion, access, and participation, and minimise its impact on the environment.

The People's Palace and the Winter Gardens are to undergo a multi-million pound renovation — The People’s Palace and the Winter Gardens are to undergo a multi-million pound renovation iStock

“With spring on the horizon and the school holidays only a few weeks away, I would encourage as many people as possible to grab this last chance to see the Palace before we close the doors and continue to work with local communities on this exciting transformation.”

Once closed, the vision to restore the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens as a vibrant museum and thriving community space will begin in earnest.

The development phase will take around 16 months.

To begin with, a specialist project team will be brought together with the remit of championing the successful community-centred approach used to great acclaim at The Burrell Collection.

By collaborating with local people, and using their views, insights, and opinions to shape all aspects of the refurbishment, the aim is to transform the space and displays to make the building more accessible for all.

Glasgow Life will continue engaging with the city’s communities on collecting, object interpretation and programming.

Together they will start to develop the main stories that will feature in the ‘new’ People’s Palace, ensuring more heritage is on display in the refreshed museum.

The operational services and fabric of the building will also be refurbished. Initially, investigative work will be carried out to confirm the condition of the building and inform detailed reports that will allow contractors to be appointed.

Work will start with the transfer of the People’s Palace Collection to publicly accessible Glasgow Museum stores.

Further information, including opening hours, can be found at Glasgow Life.