LAHORE, Jan 16: US-based company Ann Beha will design and plan the development scheme for Lahore Museum and will provide neat assessment under which the renovation and restoration of museum will be done, museum officials told Dawn.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs50 million to Lahore Museum for its renovation and restoration. According to officials the task has been given to Ann Beha because Pakistan lacked expertise in museum architecture.

Lahore Museum Director Naheed Rizvi told Dawn American embassy officials had visited the museum in Nov last and offered their help for the museum. The museum officials sought American help in designing and planning of the new building and conservation of existing building. The embassy identified the Ann Beha for the purpose. She said the American embassy would deal and pay funds to the company. She said the Punjab government had allocated Rs50 million for the existing building. She said the museum’s building would be preserved in accordance with the Ann Beha’s plan.

The director said the museum’s annual grant had increased from Rs8 million in 2005 to Rs 20.75 million this year.

She said the grant would be spent on the upgrading of 17 galleries of the museum. The ceiling of the Gandhara gallery has been restored, however, its display has yet to be done. The display will be done after a Gandhra exhibition in Germany this year. Ms Rizvi says work on the display of each gallery would be done on rotational basis.

At the moment the Contemporary and Old Masters Paintings gallery is being upgraded.

She said some of the material to be used in the up gradation of the gallery would be imported. Ultra violate filter lights will be imported from Germany and Austria. Around 350 paintings will be reframed and new cabinets will also be made to keep the reserves of the gallery. Lahore Museum was established in 1864 under the name of ‘Industrial Art Museum of the Punjab’.