Aberdeen Art Gallery

By Hoskins Architects

Client Aberdeen City Council

Awards RIAS Award and RIBA National Award 2021

The redevelopment of this important art gallery is the result of a decade of intensive work by the architects, the gallery team, Aberdeen City Council and various international specialists and stakeholders.

It delivers major new exhibition and education spaces, a complete renewal of servicing and environmental control systems, as well as dramatically improved art handling, storage, back of house and study facilities. The result is a spectacular triumph, retaining and enhancing the special character of the original spaces, while making major alterations such as removing the main staircase that blocked the entrance and placing it at the back of the building.

The dramatic new glazed roof allows natural light to flood into the Sculpture Court below, and the removal of the staircase creates a welcoming, spacious entrance offering clear views and well-connected public routes into the Cowdray Hall and Remembrance Hall. The design, detailing and materials used respect and repair the existing to create a new and vibrant art gallery that must now be one of the very best in the country.