Burrell staff rush to save rare exhibits as roof leaks

Evening Times Online (John McCann)

Priceless artefacts from Glasgow's Burrell Collection had to be rescued after the roof sprang a leak.

The 25-year-old building in Pollok Park won national recognition for its glass-based design.

But the award-winning building has so many leaks staff have run out of buckets to catch the dripping water.

Unique items, such as those gathered from the deserts of Egypt, are under threat as rain seeps in.

Culture and Sport Glasgow, which runs the venue, refused to comment on the cause of the problems.

But a spokesman admitted: "A number of items were removed from a display case last week as a precaution after a leak.

"They are due to go back on display later this week."

The building was voted second in the 100 best modern buildings of the past 50 years by Prospect magazine in 2006.

The design was chosen following a competition won by young architects Barry Gasson and John Meunier, who came up with a blueprint using large panes of glass in the walls and a roof that blurred the distinction between the building, sky and the surrounding woodland.

But the attempt to make visitors feel they could still be outdoors is now working too well with water creating puddles throughout the museum.

The worst-hit areas include a gallery showing ancient Egyptian artefacts, some 5000 years old, including items from tombs.

There's more on the above page. It is such a shame. I lived in Glasgow for four very happy years and visited the Burrell collection many times. The building is a beauty. It had only just opened when I visited. The amount of natural light infusing the place really displayed the paintings and artefacts to perfection.

The Burrell Collection is also the home of the Saqqara Geophysical Survey Project.