Victoria Building Museum

A NEW museum displaying Liverpool university's precious art and heritage collections is set to open in Capital of Culture year.

Plans for the £7m gallery and exhibition complex are already in the hands of Liverpool council with academic bosses hopeful it will throw open its doors in just over two years' time.

They are planning a £2m fund-raising appeal to bring in some of the funds needed.

The new museum would be based in the university's Victoria Building, built in the late 19th century.

University officials want to open up the building, famous for its landmark red-brick clock tower, to the public.

But the grade II-listed structure in Brownlow Hill needs millions of pounds of restoration work before visitors are allowed access.

Once complete, the university's art collection will be housed in new galleries on the first floor, with the heritage collection in the building's Tate Hall.

Work will also include a new entrance in Ashton Street and cafe, visitor and banqueting facilities on the ground floor.

A university spokesman said: "Our most famous landmark, the red-brick Victoria Building, is to undergo a £7m refurbishment - including a £2m fund-raising campaign - that will see our art and heritage collections on display to the public in a single location for the first time.

"The initiative involves the creation of galleries and exhibition spaces that will showcase art and sculpture collections, as well as artefacts from academic departments. more

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The Victoria Building was historically the administrative heart of the University of Liverpool, housing the University Library as well as offices for most of the senior academic staff.

It is situated towards the top of Brownlow Hill in Liverpool and opened in 1892. The architect was Alfred Waterhouse.

The building is constructed from red bricks, and it was the inspiration for the term red brick, which was coined by a University of Liverpool professor.