The most visited museum in the UK outside London, Kelvingrove was voted by Glaswegians in 1998 as their favourite building in the city.

The long-planned refurbishment, known as the Kelvingrove New Century Project, has been funded by Glasgow City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage.

The main aim of the refurbishment is to create modern facilities, services and displays while ensuring the restored building itself can be seen to its best effect and enjoyed by all.

A number of key changes have been made to the internal layout of the galleries including a new exhibition space, a conference and lecture theatre, education rooms, a restaurant, shops and the Campbell Hunter Education Wing.

New features that seem destined to become Kelvingrove favourites are a Spitfire LA198 from the 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron – hanging from the roof of the West Court as well as the loan of a collection of significant Egyptian treasures from the British Museum.

Art lovers will be pleased to note that the legendary Salvador Dali painting of Christ of St John of the Cross which has been hanging in the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art since 1993 will be returning to Kelvingrove and will be seen by many as a home-coming for this famous work. The painting, which was bought, along with the copyright for its image, by Glasgow in 1952 for £8200, is to be studied and cleaned before being moved across the city.

Kelvingrove’s refurbished galleries, numbering 22, are set to highlight a variety of different themes on reopening

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