The £15.1m restoration and refurbishment of The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter, Devon, has begun.

The completed project will result in the Grade II-listed, Victorian building having lost architectural features restored, as well as a 400sq m extension for collections and a new shop, café and learning suite. Architects Allies and Morrison, who designed the improvements that bring the museum to modern standards, did so in close consultation with English Heritage and Exeter Archaeology.

A footbridge will also be installed near the museum’s site, as well as a reception area at the rear of the museum, for pedestrian access from the adjacent Roman wall.

After a projected 62-week work schedule, interior designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates will refurbish nine of the existing galleries in a way that encourages a more interactive environment for visitors.

Exeter City Council is funding the project in conjunction with a £8.9m Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The remaining costs are being covered through various grants amounting to £300,000.00 and a fundraising campaign managed by The Museum Appeal Development Trust.

The museum, which closed in December 2007, is expected to reopen in 2010.