The Twentieth Century Society

Campaigning for outstanding buildings

The Burrell Collection Gallery

Burrell Collection listing upgraded

Aidan Turner-Bishop sends news that the Burrell Collection  gallery in Glasgow has been upgraded by Historic Scotland to Grade A. It was  designed by Barry Gasson and Associates and it opened to the public in 1983. It  thus joins the exclusive ranks of British 1980s buildings listed at the highest  possible status (A in Scotland; I in England & Wales).
The Burrell is about to  close for four years from 2016 for a “major revamp” since, according to Glasgow  City Council and ‘Glasgow Life’ the building is ‘not fit for purpose’, as reported by the Evening Times and BBCHistoric Scotland has  altered and upgraded the search facility on its Listed Building Record at http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/  
Those who are interested in Glasgow’s archicture might want to take a look at a monograph about the  architectural history of Glasgow University which has just been published. It’s called  Building knowledge: an architectural history of the University of Glasgow by Nick Haynes and costs £19.95 from the University’s Visitor  Centre Shop.
The other news from Scotland is that the Scottish Government  is planning to merge Historic Scotland with the RCAHMS: http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/news/new-organisation-to-be-non-departmental-public-body. A public consultation is running now, until the end of July, about the Scottish  Government’s Historic Environment Strategy, which may be of interest to C20 Society supporters.
Finally, the latest magazine of  the National Trust for Scotland has three pages on the architect Sir Robert  Lorimer, “the [sometimes so-called] Scottish Lutyens”. His family owned Kellie  Castle which is now in the care of the NTS. His son, Hew, the sculptor, had his  studio there. Aidan is pleased to see the stirrings of a Lorimer revival, and looks  forward to seeing Lorimer tea towels in NTS gift shops.