A major redevelopment of the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh has been given the green light by the city's council.
The £16.8m extension will revamp the Scottish National Gallery (SNG) on The Mound, in particular giving new life to its displays of Scottish art.
The City of Edinburgh Council has now formally approved the planning applications for the landmark site in the capital.
The Scottish rooms, Print Room and Library in the lower level of the Scottish National Gallery (SNG) closed this week to allow for the preparation of the building for the revamp.
Construction work will start in spring 2017 and will continue until autumn 2018 and open to the public in early 2019.
During the renovation, the SNG will remain open to the public with access to rooms at the ground and upper levels.
The planned redevelopment of the SNG will triple the exhibition space available to the Scottish collection from 440m to 1320m.
When the currant director general of the National Galleries, Sir John Leighton, joined the institution in 2006, he said the display of Scottish art in the windowless concrete basement resembled an "apology" and he was "deeply unhappy" about it.
"One of the enduring weaknesses in recent times has been the display of the historic Scottish collection," he later said.
The gallery is home to a collection of masterpieces of Scottish art, including work by Allan Ramsay, Sir Henry Raeburn and Sir David Wilkie, as well as many others.
The new displays will tell the story of Scottish art from the 17th to the mid-20th century, including the Scottish Colourists.
Michael Clarke, director of the SNG and project director, said: "We are delighted that we can now move forward with this exciting development.
"I would like to thank the City of Edinburgh Council for their support of this project which will truly transform this site at the heart of Edinburgh and enable new audiences to enjoy the magnificent Scottish art collection."
Hoskins Architects was appointed to the project in 2014.
The firm’s lauded founder, Gareth Hoskins OBE, created the design before his death earlier this year.
Designed by the celebrated Scottish architect William Henry Playfair and landmark in Edinburgh, the SNG attracted more than 1.4m visitors in 2015/16.
The Heritage Lottery Fund announced a £4.94m grant towards the project earlier this year.
The design will open up a suite of new rooms which, for the first time, will be directly accessible from East Princes St Gardens, and will utilise former office, print room and storage space.
The terrace outside the Gallery will be expanded and a new pathway created.
In January, the National Galleries of Scotland Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament to allow the transfer of a narrow strip of common good land in East Princes St Gardens to the NGS.
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