A £20m refurbishment of the Wellcome Building on Euston Road in London will provide a library, conference facilities and two permanent exhibition galleries – measuring 7,500sq ft (700 sq m) – devoted to celebrating the science, history and culture of medicine.

The revamp, which is being funded entirely by the Wellcome Trust – the biomedical research charity founded by Sir Henry Wellcome and chaired by Sir Dominic Cadbury, previously chief executive and chairman of Cadbury Schweppes – is taking place at the trust’s original headquarters and will also include a cafe and bookshop.

Project management consultancy Osprey Mott MacDonald (OMM) has been appointed to oversee the development of the galleries. One will house the ‘Medicine Man’ exhibition, displayed by the Wellcome Trust at the British Museum in 2003.

The exhibition brings together around 700 anthropological items from the huge stockpile of evidence built up by Sir Henry – the entrepreneur and philanthropist who collected more than a million medical artefacts – including diagnostic dolls and George III’s hair.

The second gallery will focus on contemporary issues and advances in biomedicine since the death of Sir Henry in 1936.

A gallery designer has not yet been chosen, however, work is scheduled to be completed in 2006, with the galleries open to the public in 2007. Admission will be free. Details: www.wellcome.ac.uk