We did it! The moment Pallant House staff heard they'd won the biggest prize in the UK museum world. © Jon Pratty/24 Hour Museum

Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, home to one of the UK’s finest collections of modern British art, has won the £100,000 Gulbenkian Prize for Museums and Galleries.

"I am so overwhelmed," said Stefan van Raay, Director of Pallant House, speaking to the 24 Hour Museum directly after the announcement.

"Everyone's worked so hard to make this a success, but in particular I'd like to thank Sandy Wilson." Colin St John (Sandy) Wilson was the architect of the new Pallant extension, and a principal benefactor to the gallery. He died two weeks ago.

"I went to the funeral yesterday. He was a wonderful man, such a wonderful man. I can't stand that he's not here tonight. Yesterday the funeral, and now we miss him dearly. It's a bit over the top, but that's how I feel really."

Happy Pallant House staff and friends take a bow. Stefan van Raay, Director, is on the right. © Jon Pratty/24 Hour Museum

The Prize is given annually to one museum or gallery anywhere in the UK for excellence and innovation, regardless of its size or budget and Pallant beat off competition from a shortlist including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Kew Palace in Richmond and Weston Park Museum in Sheffield.

In awarding the prestigious prize to Pallant House, the Gulbenkian judges were won over by the flair and sensitivity with which the new building has been integrated with the original Queen Anne House, resulting in a vibrant relationship between old and new, a theme continued in a series of inspired contemporary installations.

"My team was loyal - they never give up," said Stefan van Raay. "If you are dedicated to something important, if you never give up, you can do it. It took nine years."

The judges particularly commended the approach to presenting what it described as a ‘collection of collections’ – 90 per cent of which is now on display – to reflect the passion of the individual collectors whose successive gifts have enriched the Gallery’s holdings.

Within the new extension visitors are treated to one of the best collections of 20th century British art in the UK. Works by artists ranging from Peter Blake, David Bomberg and Patrick Caulfield to Ben Nicholson, John Piper, Walter Sickert and Graham Sutherland are sympathetically displayed.

Chair of Judges Francine Stock praised the Gallery's "thoughtful and intelligent curation." © Jon Pratty/24 Hour Museum

“The brilliance of Pallant House Gallery lies not only in its thoughtful and intelligent curation but in the warmth and welcome of the building,” said the Chair of Judges Francine Stock. “There’s nothing elitist about the way this fine collection is displayed – intimate yet with space for reflection and tranquillity.”

The final decision of the judges is in marked contrast to the readers of 24 Hour Museum who, in an unofficial reader’s poll, voted overwhelmingly for Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

Ahead of the official announcement, our readers voted in droves for the much-loved Glasgow venue. Out of a total of 4,378 votes cast via email, Kelvingrove was the clear winner with 1,964 votes reflecting the popularity of the recent £35m redevelopment of the site.

However it was Pallant’s comparatively modest but wholly sympathetic £8.6m building project, which also included an emissions-cutting geothermal heating and cooling system, that finally swayed the judging panel.

The Grade I Listed Pallant House Gallery now has a state of the art gallery extension. Courtesy Pallant House Gallery

As well as the £100,000 Gulbenkian Prize, the Gallery was presented with a silver enamelled bowl designed by award-winning metal artist, Vladimir Böhm, which they will hold for a year.

The Pallant House Gallery trustees plan to put the prize money into their endowment fund, which they are aiming to grow to the stage where they will have sufficient core funding to offer free entry to the Gallery.