Leicester Cathedral has been awarded the full grant of £3.3m form the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the new Heritage Learning Centre extension designed by vHH Architects.
The Heritage Learning Centre, on the site of the former Song School, will be a two-storey stone building with some terracotta and glass features. Planning approval was secured earlier this year from the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England and Leicester City Council, after taking advice from Historic England, the Leicester Conservation Advisory Panel and others.
The Dean of Leicester, the Very Revd David Monteith said:
“Leicester Cathedral Revealed is very important because it will transform what we will be able to do. Since the reinterment of King Richard III in 2015, our city has benefited from £8m additional income a year thanks to the extraordinary upsurge in cultural tourists. This project has the potential to double that for the city.”
Work in Leicester is expected to begin on site in early 2020 and is anticipated to be completed by 2022.