GYM goers will be the first to experience the £35 million revamp of the Kelvin Hall.

Set to open in the summer, the new fitness centre in the west end facility will be one of the largest fitness gyms in Scotland.

Glasgow’s historic exhibition hall will be transformed into a cultural, academic and sporting complex with the first phase of the redevelopment almost ready to be revealed.

Archie Graham, chairman of Glasgow Life, said: “Kelvin Hall is fixed within our collective memories. As a space for exhibitions, boxing matches, athletics, circus performances and as a museum of transport – it has adapted over the decades to match the needs of our citizens and visitors.

“Thanks to this unique and incredible partnership, we have worked together to secure this iconic building for the next generation – completing the first phase of what promises to be a globally important home for culture, learning, entertainment, health and fitness, and social inclusion.

“Our ambition for sport, culture and learning knows no bounds and our investment in what promises to be an incredible new chapter in this historic hall is testament to our shared desire to increase opportunity for all.”

Glasgow Club at Kelvin Hall will be the first area to welcome the public through its doors.

The project, which will bring about 50 per cent of the building back into use, has been funded by Glasgow City Council, Glasgow University, National Library of Scotland, Scottish Government, Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland.

As previously told in the Evening Times, the revamp will provide a state-of-the-art Glasgow Club health and fitness centre.

It will host an eight-court multi-purpose sports hall, four-court gymnastics hall, three dedicated group fitness studios and one of the largest fitness gyms in Scotland.

There will be more than 50 cardiovascular, strength conditioning and fixed resistance stations including the very latest ‘Unity’ screens that allow users to surf the web.

It will include the largest functional training space in the city, capable of hosting group classes for 20 people.

The facility will also be home to more than 100 weekly fitness classes.

As well as sport facilities, a Collections' Centre will house around 1.9 million objects brought from various locations around the city.

Some 1.4 million objects will come from nine locations housing artefacts from The Hunterian and 400,000 objects – the last of Glasgow Museums’ 1.4 million objects not housed in modern stores – will be moved to their new home.

The National Library of Scotland will have a hub in Kelvin Hall that will allow visitors to enjoy events and talks previously only available in Edinburgh.

Kelvin Hall is the new home for the Library’s Moving Image Archive, offering easy access to thousands of films and videos capturing more than 100 years of Scotland’s history.

Scotland’s National Librarian, Dr John Scally, said: “One of Glasgow’s best loved buildings is being brought back to life through a unique partnership that offers many exciting leisure and cultural opportunities for the people of the city.

“It provides the National Library of Scotland with a base in Glasgow for the first time and will allow us to showcase many of the riches from our national collection.

"The first thing people will see when they come in will be a 12-screen video-wall showing films from our Moving Image Archive that records 100 years of life in Scotland.

"People will also be able to use our digital collections giving them access to many rare and original items covering centuries of Scotland’s history and culture.”

Glasgow University and Glasgow Museums will also have spaces in the building and an Academy for Cultural and Heritage Skills will be created.

There will be community and school learning facilities as well as a cafe and retail space.

The second phase of the refurbishment of the Category B listed building will see the Hunterian move into the building, while Glasgow Museums will share the city’s Charles Rennie Mackintosh treasures with the public.

Professor Murray Pittock, Pro Vice-Principal of Glasgow University, said: “Kelvin Hall is a hugely exciting and unique project which brings together for the first time anywhere in the world civic organisations, higher education and national institutions under one roof.

“Kelvin Hall will help students wanting to study at Glasgow University to engage in completely new ways through the 1.5 million objects and specimens that will be housed there.”

Kelvin Hall opened in 1927 and at 19,000m2 was the city’s main exhibition hall. Following its many guises, in the 1980s it became the national indoor sports arena and home to Glasgow’s Museum of Transport.

A series of films documenting the changing face of Kelvin Hall have been produced.

The latest short film can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDvz_5EB1e0