Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Now boasting a dramatically reconfigured interior the SNPG now boasts as much as 60% more display space, helped by several cunning interventions - notably insertion of office space into a new mezzanine level which has been likened to ‘inserting a ship into a bottle.’

Outlining some of the key characteristics of the refurbished space architect David Page draws attention to the creation of a sequence of top lit galleries on the top floor.

This reflects a prosaic opened up arcade along the ground floor to deal with entry, shop, café, education and introduction - leaving the main hall free as an “emblematic interior for the building” and a “sandwich of side lit spaces on the first floor housing the photographic collection and relocated library. “

Visitors to the reopened building can look forward to a striated display with the modern collection on the ground and first floor and the classic collection on the top floor. Flexibility in the galleries design allows for alternative collection arrangements in the future.

Accessibility is enhanced by the insertion of a new ramp to the front door which Page conceived as a “smile on the face of the façade” whilst a public lift link to the upper floors doubles up as the painting and sculpture lift.

Page concluded: “Its unique urban setting on the corner of the New Town makes it a true urban building rather than isolated set piece. Someone made a nice comment, the Portrait Gallery as old friend made young again. I like that.”