A £7m arts centre is to be built on the seafront in Margate, Kent as part of a wider project to revitalise the town.

Snøhetta and Spence Associates fought off 150 entries to win the international architecture competition to design the new Turner Centre in Margate.

Named after the British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, the sail shaped centre will show historic work alongside contemporary, and is expected to attract 159,000 visitors a year and create over 100 jobs.

It will have three galleries, one dedicated to Turner's work in Kent, one housing a collection donated to Kent County Council over the years, and a third for works on loan.

The project will be funded by Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, the Arts Council and National Lottery money

'This is a most wonderful opportunity for our area,' said leader of Thanet District Council, Richard Nicholson. 'It will provide the catalyst for our plans to regenerate the old town as an artists' quarter and give Margate and entirely new focus as a tourist destination.'