A redevelopment project at Aberdeen Art Gallery has received a £250,000 donation in a fundraising campaign for the works.

The donation was made by Garfield Weston Foundation, and will go towards the £30m 'Inspiring Art and Music' project.

The scheme involves redeveloping Aberdeen Art Gallery, Cowdray Hall and Remembrance Hall into a 21st century centre for art and music.

Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has also committed £10m towards the project, while Aberdeen City Council also gave £10m.

Interior plans for the project include the creation of 21 gallery spaces in place of the existing 11, a 500 sq m space of exhibitions, and a community gallery in a new wing at the rear of the building.


On the exterior of the building, the pitched roof and skylights behind the parapets of the main building will be removed, while a new storey of accommodation for visiting exhibition galleries will be installed along with a learning suite.

In addition, new educational facilities will be added, while the Cowdray Hall's performance space will be upgraded along with additional seating.

Steve Regulski, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said: "We are very grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for this donation which recognises the importance of the project to the people of Aberdeen, and we are sure that it will inspire more people and organisations to back what is probably the most significant improvement to Aberdeen's cultural landscape since Aberdeen Art Gallery first opened in 1885."

The project is due to be completed in winter 2017.

(LM/JP)