THIS is what the Black Country Living Museum's ambitious new visitor centre could look like.

Initial designs have been drawn up by Buckinghamshire-based Napier Clarke Architects as part of the museum's multi-million pound Forging Ahead project.

The new centre will be part of the new entrance on Castle Hill, which aims to create a link between the museum, Dudley Canal Trust, Dudley Zoo and the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre.

It will be the welcome point for the estimated 5,000 daily visitors that will flock to the museum once the project is complete.

It will also house an introductory exhibition and food, drink and retail outlets, enabling the current Rolfe Street entrance building to be turned into a learning centre.

Museum bosses said Napier Clarke Architects’ winning contemporary design proposal was chosen after a "highly competitive" European-wide tender process, which saw 24 architectural practices enter the design competition.

Andrew Lovett, the museum's chief executive, said: “The whole selection panel was very impressed with the highly experienced and enthusiastic team Napier Clarke Architects had brought together on their pitch; they really seemed to understand what we are trying to achieve.

"We hope a new contemporary visitor centre will provide a visually fascinating juxtaposition to the historic area of the museum’s site and create an excellent welcoming experience for our visitors.”

Napier Clarke Architects' directors, Steven Clarke and Amy Napier added: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Black Country Living Museum to design its ‘new visitor welcome’ facilities.

"It’s an important project for one of the UK’s most interesting museums, and very exciting for Napier Clarke to take forward our most significant cultural project to date.”

The firm will be working alongside services engineer BWB Consulting, structural engineer Donald McIntyre Design, and landscape architect Red Kite Network to develop the design proposals with the museum.

The museum aims to submit a planning application for the new centre to Dudley Council by November this year.