Southampton City Council (SCC) has unveiled the latest designs for the new Sea City Museum Project, which is set to form part of the wider development of a new Cultural Quarter for the city.

The first phase of the Sea City Museum scheme, which has been designed by London-based architects Wilkinson Eyre, is scheduled to open to the public in 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Exhibition galleries will tell the story of the city from pre-history to the present day, with a particular focus on Southampton's role as a major maritime port and as a departure and arrival point for people travelling across the world.

Visitors will be able to experience what it was like to be in the Merchant Navy at the start of the 20th century, while displays will also tell the story of local crew who worked aboard the ill-fated Titanic liner. Special galleries will be shared between the museum and the City Art Gallery to create more space to display the council's collection of paintings, before the second stage of the Sea City Museum Project expands the exhibition areas after 2012 to provide more space for art and heritage collections.

In addition to the new museum and the City Art Gallery, the proposed new Cultural Quarter will incorporate a refurbished Guildhall Square, a new arts complex, the Mayflower Theatre, the BBC and the Guildhall. Image: Wilkinson Eyre