Madeira’s first ever visitor centre is due to open in March 2005.

Called The Story Centre and located in Funchal Old Town, the visitor centre will feature exhibition spaces on the ground floor and rooftop with the main exhibition space occupying the first floor.

Situated in a converted grain warehouse and cinema, the ground floor exhibition will detail the volcanic beginnings of the Madeira archipelago while the rooftop will examine how fauna has developed on the island.

The main exhibition on the first floor will detail the history of the island and its development – from the discovery of the islands in 1418 through to a display about the 1950’s film crew who shot the classic Moby Dick movie off the coast of Madeira.

Computer databases, interactive games and puzzles, artefacts, full-size reconstructions and interpretative text panels have been incorporated into the centre in order to create what the designers hope is a “fully immersive and enjoyable experience”. Exhibits will be in four languages – Portuguese, English, French and German.

The visitor centre was designed by UK-based company, Hayley Sharpe.