PLANS to transform Paisley Museum have taken a major step forward, thanks to a bumper £4 million cash boost.
The ambitious revamp of the historic site, which is set to cost £42m, has secured the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The flagship project of a £100m investment in Paisley town centre is due to be completed in 2022 and is expected to attract 125,000 visitors a year.
READ MORE: Paisley Museum shuts its doors ahead of £42m revamp
Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, chair of Renfrewshire Leisure, said: “We want to thank everyone connected to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their fantastic support.
“It will help us deliver a world-class museum which will take the town’s unique and fascinating stories to new audiences, showcase Paisley’s internationally-significant collections, and bring new life and footfall to the wider area.
“It will create a new accessible hub at the heart of life in the town for the local community - local groups are already co-producing the incredible stories which will populate the reopened museum, and we look forward to continuing to work with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and others over the years ahead to deliver on that.”
The revamped museum will showcase its art, science and natural history collections, along with telling the story of the Paisley pattern, the town’s famous weavers and being at the centre of the global thread-making industry.
The museum is being redesigned by award-winning international architects AL_A.
It’s estimated it will create huge amounts of visitors to Paisley town centre, as well as a £72m economic boost over 30 years.
The redevelopment will include a contemporary addition to the existing Victorian-era building, major revamps to all four museum buildings, including the Coats Observatory, and a complete internal redesign to reimagine the visitor experience and double the number of objects on display.
Caroline Clark, director Scotland of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “This project has been driven by the passion of the Paisley community to put their unique heritage on an international stage. With the help of National Lottery funding, new life will be breathed into these heritage buildings giving Paisley’s wonderful textiles and other treasures the prominence they deserve, while also bringing a new confidence to the town.”
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