The planned new free-to-visit Passivhaus collections store in Granton, north Edinburgh, known as “The Art Works”, will provide access to over 130,000 artworks, with many of these not having been viewed by the public for tens of years. 

At present, under 3% of Scotland’s art is exhibited at the National Galleries of Scotland’s venues or out on loan. 

The remaining 97% is stored in a number of sites in Edinburgh, many of which have not been designed for the ongoing care of nationally-significant artworks.

The national art collection of Scotland comprises over 130,000 international and nationally important works spanning over 700 years.

The Heritage Fund support for The Art Works aligns with the National Lottery Good Causes funding distributor’s wider ambitions to help community regeneration in the
Granton area. This includes £1.3m announced in 2025 to support the City of Edinburgh Council’s Granton Waterfront initiative. 

The funding marks key progress for the project, with plans to start construction as soon as possible. 

The new building will have public viewing spaces, conservation studios, digitisation facilities, education rooms and spaces for local groups to book. 

According to research commissioned for the project it is estimated that the greater access to art and cultural activities made possible via The Art Works will deliver social and economic benefits of a value of over £350m.

The Art Works will support partnership with organisations such as National Museums Scotland. The building will also be home to collections from the Royal Scottish Academy, the Demarco Archive Trust and ARTIST ROOMS, which is jointly owned with Tate.

The Art Works is anticipated to be the biggest cultural Passivhaus building in Scotland. 

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “The Art Works is an exciting project which will ensure that this world class collection is not only protected but also shared in unique ways, by opening up public access and supporting a co-design approach with local communities in north Edinburgh.

“This will foster creative learning, skills development, employment, and partnerships, while contributing to cultural regeneration and local pride.”

McGuinness added: “It will also use digital technology to make Scotland’s artworks more accessible for everyone, wherever they live.”

Màiri McAllan, culture secretary, said: “Art and culture can transform lives, improve wellbeing, strengthen relationships and create a distinct sense of belonging.

“That’s why the Scottish Government strongly supports our cultural sector and has committed almost £56 million to the seminal The Art Works development, on top of millions allocated to Granton regeneration projects over the last five years.”

Anne Lyden, director-general of National Galleries of Scotland, said: This investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is a hugely significant moment for the future of Scotland’s national art collection.

“The majority of Scotland’s art has been hidden from view for far too long. The Art Works will change that, protecting more than 130,000 artworks while making them more accessible than ever before.”

The Scottish Government committed £56m towards the project, earlier in 2026.