Leading contemporary art collector, Charles Saatchi, will open his new gallery in central London this month.

Saatchi has chosen County Hall, close to the Tate Modern and Tate Britain, as the new home for his iconic collection that includes over 2,000 pieces.

Saatchi, who made his fortune in advertising, helped to forge the reputations of such British artists as Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin, whose infamous pickled shark and soiled bed, respectively, are centrepieces of the exhibition.

Saatchi's new gallery should be in for a warm reception based on the findings of a survey commissioned by Prospects 2003, an annual arts prize.

It found that Britons spent £6.7bn on art in 2002. Speaking to The Independent, Susie Allen, chair of Prospects said: 'The public no longer feels threatened by contemporary art, but sees it as something that they can understand and enjoy'.

The Saatchi Gallery joins several other leisure ventures at County Hall on the Cultural Mile including the BA London Eye, London Aquarium, Salvador Dali exhibition, hotels and restaurants.