A transformational project to reimagine Glasgow’s People’s Palace and Winter Gardens has secured an initial development grant of £850,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Following the announcement of the award, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said that the initial award ‘paves the way’ for an award of up to £7.5 million for the project.
Glasgow Life, the charity which delivers culture and sport in the city, added that the initial backing of £850,000 allows for the vision to restore the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens as a vibrant and thriving community space to progress, whilst also protecting the cultural and heritage asset for generations.
A 16-month development phase is now set to commence, with the initial grant enabling Glasgow Life to engage with the city’s communities about the project to ensure that ‘every aspect’ of the project is informed by their views.
The charity hopes to discover how the museum can best tell the city’s stories, whilst also making sure more people’s heritage is on display in the refreshed museum. This will then lead to a heritage fund second stage application, which Glasgow Life said would secure an additional £6.65 million of support.
The cost of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens project is £35.9 million. Glasgow City Council has already committed £2.9 million to the project, with Glasgow Life adding that the local authority will contribute a further £11 million. The charity said it will continue to work with other public and private sector funders to secure the remaining investment required.
The project will see the operational services and fabric of the building being refurbished, which will improve the museum and glasshouse’s energy efficiency. Modern heating and cooling systems will also enhance its environmental performance.
Set in Glasgow Green, a main ambition is to better connect the museum with nature and the surrounding park – with it hoped to reposition the east end of the city on the tourist map.
Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said, “For 126 years the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens has been one of Glasgow’s most treasured spaces, but it is now in need of significant investment. This announcement of Heritage Fund support is wonderful and crucial to breathing new life into the museum.
“While there is still work to be done to secure additional external funding, we can now move forward with this exciting project to restore, re-imagine, and improve a much-loved cultural and historical asset. We will use all we have learned about engaging with communities, developing innovative digital technology, and designing accessible spaces, to celebrate the people of Glasgow and tell the city’s stories in a world-class, accessible, and sustainable museum. This will bring a wealth of social and economic benefits to the people in the East End of Glasgow and beyond.”
Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added, “I am delighted we are supporting this inspiring project, which is not only about redeveloping a much-loved building, but also rediscovering the story of Glasgow and putting the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens back in the heart of local communities. This initial support paves the way for an award of up to £7.5 million, which would be amongst the largest Heritage Fund awards made to a single project in Scotland.
“This reflects our new strategy to invest larger amounts in truly exceptional heritage projects across the UK, supporting our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. Glasgow is also one of the first of 20 places around the UK that will share in our £200 million Heritage Places programme, announced last year.”
