With more than 8,000 pieces to its name, from Sir Roger the Indian Elephant to a Supermarine Spitfire and work by the likes of Salvador Dali and Alasdair Gray – all available to see for free – Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of Glasgow’s greatest attractions.
The museum has been around since 1901, so it needs a lot of looking after. And now, Glasgow Life, the charity that takes care of it, has revealed just how much money will need to go into the attraction over the coming years to keep it in tip-top shape – a grand total of £80 million.
The estimated sum covers all the work it’s thought that the building will need over the next 11 years, including the £7m stone repair work going on at the moment. In 2022, falling plaster from part of the historic building prompted immediate repairs. Then last year, proposals were submitted to replace its glazed roof, fixing the gutters and addressing a tanking issue to better waterproof the infrastructure.
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A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: ‘In 2018 and 2020, detailed surveys led by external conservation architects helped us develop cost estimates for a longer-term maintenance plan. In 2022, a section of plaster fell from above the Argyle Street entrance prompting immediate necessary repairs.
‘Since then, we have continued to monitor the building’s condition. This includes considering future phases of work that will address the entire building fabric as funding allows.
‘Estimated costs for those works over the next decade, which are by no means an absolute requirement, have been prepared to support our ongoing capital investment planning.’
It’s not been confirmed exactly what work will need to be done, when it would take place, or whether it’ll involve shutting down parts of the museum. We’ll keep you updated!
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