Work to transform Paisley Museum is well underway

It's hard to imagine that in the not too distant future this space will be home to a "radical" world-class reimagining of Paisley Museum - a cultural centre that aims to meld the town's past with its future.

The Herald is being given a tour of the work-in-progress, designed by A_LA architects, by Kirsty Devine, Project Director of Paisley Museum Reimagined.

As we walk through what is currently a building site, Ms Devine points out the historic features of the A-listed structure that were covered by previous works and that have made the building a treasure box of surprises.

She said: "We did the enabling works really early in the project, much earlier than you would do in a normal project, and we did that partly to try and open up the whole building.

"We thought that if the architects could be here when we're doing the enabling works then they can really get into the bones of the building and understand it.

"So A_LA spent a lot of time scrambling through the crawl spaces and everything to look at it."

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The revamped museum will have new sections added.

In the original building, however, returning visitors will see dramatic changes to familiar spaces.

Work has seen the removal of false ceilings added to the gallery spaces in the 1970s, presumably to cover up extensive water damage and save money on repairs, uncovering impressive vaulted glass ceilings.  

Ms Devine added: "In the historic galleries, one to five, you can see a black line showing the false ceiling. 

"It was very claustrophobic, with smoked glass doors, 1970s vibes and horrible ceiling tiles. 

"I joined the project in 2016 and was once in this gallery with a colleague and one of the roof tiles had got dislodged. We could see something up there but had no idea how dramatic it was going to be and how much it changes the space when the false ceiling was removed."

The museum's project director said the building has been full of "little finds" such as a staircase where, when an old green carpet was removed, "lovely" stonework was discovered underneath.

It has been polished and will be left bare for visitors to enjoy.

At the entrance to Paisley Museum some original tiling was uncovered while in another section, a part of the building was striped out an an original column found.

Ms Devine said: "So we're going to keep that and interpret it – we're trying to give people a glimpse of the history of the building and keep all of these as part of the refurbishment."

Architects also believe Charles Rennie Mackintosh was associated with work on the older parts of the building after studying historic drawings that are annotated.

Wooden structures at the roof look particularly Mackintosh and those will be incorporated into the design too. 

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The shelved cornicing is also being carefully preserved and, where possible, will be returned.  

During the early planning phases of the £45 million refurbishment of Paisley Museum, the project's managers worked with about 70 local organisations and community groups to develop plans for the building and its contents.

The result of the "listening phase" led to plans to hire out parts of the museum for local community events and led to a "manifesto for the museum" that aims to be inclusive of all visitors. 

It also sits within wider plans from Renfrewshire Council to develop a "cultural thread" from the museum to the art centre, over to the new library and on to the town hall, with a 10 minute walk between them all.

Before the museum reopens next year, Paisley Town Hall will be brought back to public use, followed by the opening of a new Learning and Cultural Hub in the town's High Street and the refurbished Paisley Arts Centre.

A council spokesperson said: "They'll all have distinct personalities with something for everyone - so the art centre is culture up close, the town hall has its big stage, the library is the open welcome. 

"And then the museum will be the really strong, world class museum that's really got community at its core."

Several senior staff on the project have come from Glasgow City Council where they have gained experience of large cultural projects, such as the redevelopment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Burrell Collection.

But while those projects and projects in Edinburgh have had big name outside supporters, Renfrewshire Council is priding itself on "doing it ourselves". 

One of the main features of the permanent collections will be a full length wall of "anything and everything" in the famous Paisley pattern, from skis, a surf board, flasks and ties to the suit the American rapper Lil Nas X wore to the 2021 Met Gala in New York. 

Paisley Museum's reinvention will feature more than double what was on display previously with eight new public spaces, 60 digital displays and a new garden gallery, public courtyard, cafe and picnic areas.

Thomas Coats Observatory, the oldest public observatory in Scotland, will be open for people to learn about its history as both civic timekeeper and 150-year-old weather station.

Architect AL_A, whose previous work includes the MAAT contemporary museum in Lisbon and the Exhibition Road Quarter at the V&A in London.