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14 Jun 2013

Design unveiled for new £4m King Richard III centre in Leicester

Design plans for the new multi-million pound King Richard III visitor centre in the heart of Leicester's Old Town has been revealed.

The former Leicester Grammar School building at St Martin's Place will be transformed to house a new exhibition, entitled 'Richard III: Dynasty, Death and Discovery' which will guide visitors through the story of the king's life, brutal death at Bosworth Field in 1485, and the story of his rediscovery.

The centre, which is due to open in March 2014, is expected to attract 100,000 visitors and bring in over £4.5m to the city's economy in its first year.

Designed by Architects Maber and design company Studio MB, the project will transform both the inside and outside of the Victorian Gothic building. Two floors of exhibition space will be created and a new covered area allowing visitors access to the grave in which Richard's remains were discovered last summer.

There will also be a new courtyard garden, glass entrance hall, viewing balcony, cafe and visitor entry from Peacock Lane.

Last year, Leicester City Council bought the 150-year-old former Alderman Newton School building, which is right next to the Greyfriars grave site.

A planning application for the work is due to be submitted on Friday, June 14. If it gets approval, work is due to start by August.

The centre would then open in time for the planned reinterment of King Richard's remains at Leicester Cathedral.

The designs preserve the lines of the Victorian school building and combine new modern features, including a glass viewing balcony that will use technology to show visitors how the modern day view compares with that of the city in the Middle Ages.

Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The discovery of King Richard III is one of the most important archaeological finds of recent times. This new visitor centre will create the kind of exhibition space that this fantastic discovery deserves.

“The current temporary exhibition at the Guildhall has already attracted nearly 80,000 visitors from all over the world in the four months since it opened, which shows the extraordinary interest in Richard III's story.”