The Burrell Collection

The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park, which houses the 9,000-object Collection of Sir William Burrell, reopened in March 2022 following a major refurbishment and redisplay. Our aim for The Burrell Collection’s redevelopment was to create the most accessible and inclusive fine and decorative arts museum in the world, and in doing so, reaching new audiences who don’t see the museum as ‘for them’. Simple, yes sophisticated moving imagery seen at scale throughout The Burrell Collection plays a key part in making it most the accessible fine and decorative arts museum in the world. We use a variety of creative approaches to show visitors where the collection came from, what it was used for and how it was made – in a way that is relevant to a variety of audiences. Drawing deep inspiration from the Collection itself, we’ve created innovative large-scale environments that invite visitors to step inside the stories our objects carry – and reveal details that would otherwise go unseen. These creative and deceptively simple digital narratives are dramatic and breath-taking. Moving imagery within these surfaces is keenly informed by the objects they interpret, each piece has been designed as a meaningful and unique experience and help enable an intellectual, emotional or physical to the Collection. Our big challenge with Burrell was that many visitors have no frame of reference for many of the objects on display. We use digital to craft approachable and personable experiences that massively increase access to the Collection - in a way that unlocks stories in, and personal relationships to, objects that the untrained eye might otherwise miss. In contrast to approaches in museums elsewhere, our moving image content isn’t filled with ‘information’: expert talking-heads or long-winded narratives. We understand that this type of content is widely available to visitors online. Instead, we offer unique, site-specific experiences that are woven seamlessly in to the museum visit. Content is visually led, personable, revealing, playful and stimulating. Extensive, iterative testing of concepts, narratives and imagery with our target audiences has played a core role in the success of Digital at Burrell. Through this, we’ve developed a very successful approach to crafting intuitive and unique Digital experiences that engage and enlighten - each piece has been designed as an experience that is relevant and meaningful and fosters within visitors an intellectual and often emotional connection to the Collection.