Renfrewshire councillors are being recommended to endorse the appointment of the firm on Thursday allowing final contract negotiations with the firm to conclude.

The revamp of the  Category A-listed Victorian building could then begin in early summer with construction likely to be completed by late 2022, reopening to the public in 2023.

Designed by AL_A – led by Stirling Prize winner Amanda Levete, the project will include a new glazed extension, and will see historic interiors revealed for the first time in many decades.

A new wing to the west of the existing building will allow step-free access through the museum to the Coats Observatory, the oldest public observatory in Scotland.

The Paisley Museum Reimagined scheme is the flagship project within Renfrewshire Council’s £100m investment in cultural venues and outdoor spaces – designed to use the town’s internationally-significant cultural and heritage story to change its future.

Arup is on board as both the structural and building services consultant with Gardiner & Theobald acting as cost consultant and Currie and Brown the project manager.