Paisley Museum Building News

New cultural centre for Renfrewshire Council, Scotland

21 September 2026

Architect: AL_A

Final phase of Paisley Museum transformation to be complete by the end of 2026

Paisley Museum garden gallery:

Photos by Renfrewshire Council/OneRen

The fit-out and install programme for Paisley Museum will be complete by the end of this year, ahead of reopening to the public early in the new year.

More than 1,800 local Renfrewshire residents have helped co-design the new Museum, from helping shape the design and facilities for the new building, as well as the design of the installations and exhibitions. These have been developed in collaboration with more than 70 local organisations and groups, including more than 500 pupils from across Renfrewshire’s schools.

Paisley Museum building main hall interior design:

Following completion, an exciting opening programme will bring communities, businesses and partners together to mark the completion of Scotland’s foremost cultural regeneration project, which is expected to attract more than 127,000 visitors each year.

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Renfrewshire Council’s culture spokesperson and Chair of OneRen, said: “I’m delighted that the fit-out and install programme for Paisley Museum will be complete by the end of this year as I know how excited people are to see the transformation inside for themselves and it will be a fantastic start for the new year.

Paisley Museum building:

“With more than 1,800 local people having contributed to the redesign of the museum and the stories it will tell, it will be a welcoming place for all our communities to call their own.

“It will also act as an anchor institution for Paisley – attracting visitors to the wider area, supporting local businesses and the economy, and strengthening the town’s national and international profile.”

The reimagined museum will present a radical new view of Paisley, Scotland and the world, ensuring local stories are preserved and shared for future generations and told in inclusive and engaging ways as part of a museum campus that includes the historic Coats Observatory, Transit House and Oakshaw buildings.

Paisley Museum building entrance stairs:

More than 100 curated displays will be in place, many of which have been co-produced with local people and groups from across the world, and include:

• The story of the world-famous Paisley Pattern and how it became synonymous with the town
• One of the few surviving copies of Audobon’s Birds of America, an extraordinary four-volume elephant folio
• Rare Cook Islands ‘Staff Gods’, among the last surviving examples in the world
• The return of the life-sized and much-loved Buddie the Lion
• Alexander Wilson, the Paisley-born “Father of American Ornithology”
• Fashion icon Pam Hogg and Paisley’s textile legacy
• Artwork by John Byrne, Steven Campbell and the Glasgow Boys

The redevelopment by Renfrewshire Council in collaboration with OneRen is set to attract more than 127,000 visitors to the town each year to see the museum’s internationally significant collections, award-winning architecture and co-produced stories which will create a unique visitor experience.

Cllr Lisa Marie Hughes, Chair of OneRen:

In an update to Renfrewshire Council’s Leadership Board, councillors were advised the fit-out programme has progressed into all areas of the museum and the majority of objects chosen for display now packed in preparation for the main install programme, with more than double the amount to be on display than previously.

Around 80% of the objects selected required conservation treatment which has been completed and benefited from national and international partnerships agreements with the American Museum of Natural History, New York, The Royal Armouries, Leeds, and The People’s History Museum, Manchester.

Harry Coughlin, Managing Director Museums UK – HUB Build, said: “We’re delighted to be playing a key role in the transformation of Paisley Museum and to see the galleries really beginning to come to life.

“A particular focus for our team has been developing the flexible story display systems, working hard to ensure they are practical while remaining true to OPERA Amsterdam’s beautiful design. This adaptability will allow the museum to reconfigure displays in the future, helping to keep the visitor experience fresh and engaging over time.

“It has been a hugely detailed project, involving the manufacture and installation of a wide range of bespoke exhibition elements to display the vast array of objects, as well as hands on interactives. Our team is continuing to work closely with Renfrewshire Council and the wider project team as we progress the remaining works, and we’re looking forward to seeing the completed museum open its doors to visitors.”

International architects AL_A, led by Stirling Prize winner Amanda Levete and Matt Wilkinson, created an ambitious, striking design that has been brought to life by Kier to create a visitor attraction that will place Paisley firmly among the Europe’s leading museum destinations.

Coats from the cafe:

A dramatic red-glass accessible entrance and panoramic extension fronts the Museum transformation with the A-listed main building and Coats Observatory brought up to modern standards, undergoing significant external and internal repairs to deliver refreshed, modern galleries on every floor and double the amount of space available to showcase the Museum’s unique and internationally significant collections.

A new outdoor garden and public space has been created, which open up previously hidden views of the observatory as a cohesive museum campus is created between the buildings, and dedicated learning spaces and a heritage centre will enhance the visitor experience further – as will a new café and shop.

Buddie the Lion in the Secret Collection:

The completion of the fit-out programme and the following reopening will be the culmination of a decade of investment by Renfrewshire Council in Paisley’s cultural buildings, its cultural groups and performers, and its festivals and events. It has changed perceptions of the town, given people new reasons to visit, and contributed to it currently being Scotland’s Town of the Year.

The museum project has been funded by Renfrewshire Council, with additional funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, and the Scottish Government, as well as private fundraising.

For more information on Paisley Museum and its transformation, visit www.paisleymuseum.org.

Photo credits – Renfrewshire Council/OneRen

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Leading international names are involved in bringing the museum vision to life:

• AL_A are an award-winning architecture studio founded in 2009 by the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Matthew Wilkinson. Collaborating with ambitious and visionary clients, they develop designs that are conceptualised not just as buildings, but as urban propositions – projects that express the identity of an institution, a city or even a nation. AL_A created the design for the Paisley Museum regeneration project. https://www.ala.uk.com/

• OPERA Amsterdam is an international exhibition design studio specialising in museums and cultural heritage. The studio creates permanent museums and temporary exhibitions that bring together architecture, collections and interpretation within a coherent visitor experience. Working closely with museum teams and specialist partners, OPERA leads the spatial and exhibition design from initial concept through to delivery, integrating objects, graphics, lighting and media into engaging and accessible environments.

• The fit-out is being led by HUB Build, a specialist exhibition fit-out contractor with extensive experience delivering museums, galleries and visitor attractions across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. From design development and specialist manufacture through to installation and handover, HUB provides an integrated fit-out service, bringing together the expertise required to deliver complex, high-quality visitor environments.

• The construction project was delivered by Kier who are a leading provider of infrastructure services and construction and property developments and are committed to delivering for communities and leaving lasting legacies through their work. https://www.kier.co.uk/

• The Museum is culmination of a decade of investment in Paisley, including the £22million transformation of Paisley Town Hall, a £7million development of Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub housing Paisley Central Library on the High Street, and a £3million refurbishment of Paisley Arts Centre.

• There has been more than £3.5million invested in cultural organisations, cultural groups and independent artists through cultural funding programmes, as well as an expanded and thriving events programme across Renfrewshire, which includes Paisley Halloween Festival and is widely regarded as one of the best Halloween events in the UK.

• In addition, £5.5million was invested in town centre buildings to breathe new life into historic buildings and support local businesses, the new £85.5 million state-of-the-art Paisley Grammar School Community Campus has now opened its doors to pupils and staff, a new £59million bridge and roads infrastructure project will soon connect Paisley to AMIDS and Glasgow Airport, new social and private housing is being delivered in Paisley’s West End, and the community-led ‘Making of Ferguslie’ plan is delivering tangible regeneration to Ferguslie Park.

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Previously on Glasgow Architecture:

Paisley Museum Building – Glasgow Arts Centre

18 Nov 2022

Paisley Museum transformation fundraising campaign hits £1m milestone

image courtesy of architects practice

Paisley Museum Building Funding News

Scottish Cultural Design Images

The fundraising campaign supporting the work to redesign Paisley’s museum into a world-class visitor destination is celebrating after passing the milestone of £1m of funding secured.

The Paisley Museum Reimagined Ltd charity is raising the final money needed to complete the £45m transformation of the museum, believed to be Scotland’s biggest current heritage project.

The entire museum campus has been redesigned by international architects AL_A, and the reopened attraction will use Paisley’s internationally-significant collections to tell the stories of a town whose name is known around the world as the home of the Paisley Pattern.

The more-than £1m so far raised by the PMR Ltd charity includes generous six-figure support from charitable trusts including a pledge of £300k from the Garfield Weston Foundation, plus confirmed funding from the Hugh Fraser Foundation (£250k), the Wolfson Foundation (£200k), and the Reo Stakis Charitable Foundation (£100k).

Other supporters include the William Syson Foundation, the Kuenssberg Charitable Foundation, the Robert Barr Charitable Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust, as well as donations from anonymous individual donors.

Renfrewshire Council is providing more than half the total project funding, with seven-figure contributions already secured from National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Scottish Government (directly and through their Regeneration Capital Grant Fund), and Historic Environment Scotland.

The Paisley Museum Reimagined fundraising campaign is being led by the council, and is now switching focus towards donations from individuals and corporate organisations.

The reopened museum will be operated by OneRen, the local charitable trust providing culture, leisure and sporting opportunities to help the people of Renfrewshire enjoy active and healthy lives.

The museum recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, having been opened in 1871 thanks to the support of Sir Peter Coats of the J&P Coats thread-making empire, whose firm made Paisley the centre of the global textile industry at that time.

The work will restore the A-listed museum buildings – including the Coats Observatory, the oldest public observatory in Scotland – while adding a new wing, accessible entrance and outdoor, terraced garden. The physical space will also provide a community hub, where people can explore the museum and a range of other creative activities.

The project will double the number of items on display from the town’s collections, with a wide range of community groups heavily involved in a co-production approach to reinterpreting how those collections will be displayed.

The museum will showcase Paisley’s rich industrial heritage as a pioneer in weaving and textile design, as well as how the town’s impact across the globe. At its heart, will be the stories behind the objects, the people and places that made Paisley a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation – connecting the past with today’s communities.

The chair of the Trustees of Paisley Museum Reimagined Ltd is local business leader James Lang, director of the Renfrewshire-based Scottish Leather Group – the UK’s largest leather manufacturer.

James said: “We are delighted to announce the campaign has reached the milestone of £1m secured so far – and wish to thank every one of the generous donors who made this possible.

“The museum was founded by the industrialists who helped make the town’s name, so those who have donated to the current campaign are ensuring the rich architectural, social and cultural legacy of this special facility is reimagined for future generations.”

Cllr Lisa-Marie Hughes, chair of the OneRen board, added: “The museum is the flagship project of the council’s wider investment in Paisley town centre’s cultural venues, which also includes a transformation of its A-listed Town Hall, a new home for library services at the heart of its High St, and the UK’s first publicly-accessible High Street museum store, which opened in 2017.

“That investment is supported by Future Paisley – our ongoing programme of events and activity which aims to put culture at the heart of the economic and social regeneration of Paisley and the surrounding area.

“By supporting this project, our donors are not only making possible a visitor attraction which will drive much-needed footfall and economic activity for the area, but also helping create a community and educational facility where our young people can go to learn and be inspired.”

Dr Kenneth Chrystie, trustee of the Hugh Fraser Foundation, said: “As a keen supporter of arts and cultural charities throughout Scotland, we are delighted to support Paisley Museum Reimagined. This ambitious project will bring far-reaching economic and social benefits to the communities of Paisley and Renfrewshire.

“Our contribution will include the naming rights for the museum’s Balcony Gallery and will help the museum showcase Renfrewshire’s superb fine art collections, including work by the world-renowned Glasgow Boys and by Paisley’s very own John Byrne.”

Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation said: “We were pleased to support Paisley Museum’s ambitious redevelopment in 2020.

“We hope Wolfson grants act as a catalyst for further investment and offer our congratulations to the museum on reaching this fundraising milestone in support of a project that will help to connect more people with the town’s fascinating and important heritage.”

Andros Stakis, of the Reo Stakis Charitable Foundation, added: “RSCF is delighted to support the new Paisley Museum and hope it will be the beginning of Paisley’s revival as an innovative business and cultural centre for the region.”

More information on the museum and fundraising campaign can be found online at https://reimagined.paisleymuseum.org/

Paisley Museum Building images / information from Renfrewshire Council

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