Metaphor and Page/Park developed an integrated physical and content masterplan for the renewal of the Paisley Museum and Art Gallery. Paisley Museum is a spectacular 19th century building containing an exceptional collection of Paisley fabrics, scientific instruments, natural history, social history, art and ceramics.

The need to engage the local community was at the heart of our proposals. We suggested ways in which the local communities could contribute to the development of the content of the museum, tell their own stories and directly shape displays. We prioritised how such an approach could be used to drive cultural economic regeneration in an area with very high deprivation indices.

We looked holistically at the entire area surrounding the Museum, from the network of buildings around it; the Territorial Army building, the Thomas Coats Memorial Church, and an Observatory, to the nearby Town Hall. The outcome is a vision for the flagship project for Paisley’s City of Culture bid and the regeneration of the High Street.