Post by Renfrewshire Council

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project and I will look forward to visiting the museum when it opens knowing I played a part in its transformation,” says Barbara Walker, our City Deal and Infrastructure Programme Director. Construction of Paisley Museum is now complete and the project to transform the 150-year-old campus moves to its extensive fit-out period. “It’s going to be such an important part of the town centre as somewhere people can take their families, catch up for a coffee or just visit to see the exhibitions and I’m delighted to see the years of hard work starting to come to fruition,” continues Barbara, who got involved in the project in 2021. “I’m delighted we’ve reached this significant milestone, and the buildings speak for themselves in terms of the incredible transformation we’ve carried out on this historic campus. “As expected, there’s been a range of challenges to overcome, but we’re now in the exciting position of the fit-out process getting underway and starting to turn the museum into not just an amazing building, but an enticing visitor attraction.” The transformation includes: - Red-glass accessible entrance - Panoramic extension along the width of the building - Refreshed, modern galleries on every floor which have doubled the amount of space available to showcase the Museum’s collections - New café-restaurant and shop - Outdoor garden and public space - Dedicated learning spaces and a heritage centre - Significant internal and external repairs to the main building and Coats Observatory During the fit-out period, a team of expert content producers and collection specialists will work to display our historic collections. “We have around 100 story displays, many of which have been co-produced with local people and groups from across the world, which will help us jointly tell Paisley and Renfrewshire’s history to visitors,” explains Barbara. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the reason why this place has been and is so important, and we want to inspire people to be proud of Paisley, its history and its place in the world.” The museum, which has been designed by architects AL_A, is the culmination of a decade of investment in Paisley and Renfrewshire which has seen refreshed and transformed buildings, an expanded events programme, and millions in funding for cultural groups. “It’s an exciting time to be part of Paisley and I’m delighted we’re now taking the next step in the museum’s journey as we move towards reopening,” says Barbara. “The museum team, including the council, OneRen, external consultants and the construction contractor Kier Construction, have worked incredibly hard to overcome challenges to create a building that is breathtaking. “Paisley should be proud of the museum, and I am certainly proud to have played my small part on the project. It’s now time for the next step as we look forward to reopening to the public once the unique collections are installed.”

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