Restored Burrell Collection in Glasgow wins RIAS 'Best Building in Scotland' honor

The refurbished Burrell Collection in Glasgow, designed by John McAslan + Partners has emerged as the winner of the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

Judges complimented the refurbishment as "bold declaration about the role of architecture – a renewed confidence and belief in it – at a time when Glasgow and Scotland’s creative and cultural industries are in peril." 

The project updated the historically listed 41-year-old building’s environmental performance metrics while enabling the expanded display of objects from its 9,000-item collection. 

John McAslan stated, "projects don’t come more worthwhile than this," while framing it as a new "exemplar of ecological renovation." The win for the Burrell Collection follows 2023’s winner Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio, the Quarry Studio in Aberdeenshire by Moxon Architects, and the Aberdeen Art Gallery by Hoskins Architects as the three post-Covid winners of the prestigious award.