Work is set to begin on a new interactive museum on Bristol’s harbourside following confirmation of a £10.27m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The £18.6m heritage attraction – scheduled to open in summer 2009 – will explore the city’s history and culture through the eyes and experiences of Bristol people and communities past and present. The aim is to enable everyone to find their own answer to the question: What makes Bristol, Bristol?

The new museum will also explore the possibilities for the city’s future and engage visitors in helping to shape that vision.

The visitor attraction will combine the existing dockside façade of the historic L and M sheds with new displays, audiovisual materials and items from the city’s nationally recognised historic collections.

In addition, the new museum will provide 2,500sq m (27,000sq ft) of new exhibition space over three floors; a rooftop gallery; education spaces and volunteer facilities; engine sheds and workshops; a café and gift shop as well as conferencing facilities, according to the design of LAB Architecture Studios.

Bristol City Council is due to submit a detailed planning application over the coming weeks, which is likely to be considered by the Central Area Planning Committee by early 2007.

In the meantime, preparatory work will be undertaken to prepare the present building for its transformation.

The existing Industrial Museum has now closed and its 700 items, including historic printing and packaging machinery, shipping memorabilia, buses, cars, helicopters and even the fuselage of a Concorde aircraft will be moved into storage.

Once the space is cleared, exhibition designers will work closely with the museum staff to map out the galleries and displays.

The city council plans to working closely with local communities to develop the content for the displays and exhibitions so that the museum truly tells the story of Bristol and captures the essence of the city’s personality.

The attraction is expected to attract at least 200,000 visitors a year

Cllr Anne White, executive member for capital projects and regeneration, said: “The new museum is key to the continued regeneration of the historic harbourside and will boost tourism and help support the economy of the city.”

Nerys Watts, HLF manager in the southwest, added: “The new museum will be a first-class attraction for the city and the whole region. Bristol has a fascinating story to tell and this major project will bring everything together in one place for the first time, enabling many more people to explore a wealth of history in an interactive, fun environment.” Details: www.bristol-city.gov.uk