The four attractions to make it to the shortlist for the 2007 Gulbenkian Prize for museums and galleries have been announced.
Chosen from a long list of 10 museum and gallery projects completed during 2006, the shortlist includes the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow, Kew Palace in London, Pallant House Gallery in Chichester and Weston Park Museum in Sheffield.
Kelvingrove completed a £35m, three-year restoration which increased the number of artefacts on display to 8,000.
Kew Palace – the UK’s smallest royal palace – underwent a refurbishment which enables the public to enter the upper floors of the building for the first time in 200 years.
Pallant House opened its £8.6m extension during 2006 and it is the first gallery in the UK to install a geothermal heating and cooling system, cutting the attraction’s carbon emissions by up to 50 per cent.
The £19m Weston Park Museum attracted 55,000 visitors within the first 15 days of opening. It houses a wide collection ranging from Egyptian mummies to a traditional butcher’s shop.
Francine Stock, chair of the judges, said: “Choosing the shortlist has been tough. Each has its own way of attracting the local community and new audiences to collections and exhibitions, and it’s exciting to see the growth in visitor numbers.”
The £100,000 Gulbenkian Prize is given annually to one museum or gallery for excellence and innovation. This year’s winner will be announced on 24 May.
