Work on a scheme to create a new public space at the Redruth Brewery site can go ahead now that Cornwall Council has named an architect.

The council has named Purcell as the firm which will lead on the design of Cornwall's new archive centre and bring the derelict historic brewery building back to life, following the completion of the site purchase which means work on the project can start this summer.

The new state of the art archive is a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) supported project which will restore the historic buildings to create new spaces for people to discover Cornwall’s extensively recorded history.

Bringing together Cornwall Record Office, the Cornish Studies Library and the Cornwall and Scilly Historic Environment Record, this will create the largest collection of material for the study of Cornish archaeology, landscape, history, culture and identity in the world.

Councillor Julian German, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Culture, said: “The appointment of a specialist design team is another major milestone for this project.  The experience they bring will help us develop an outstanding scheme to secure HLF funding for the next phase of the project.”

Niall Phillips, head of design and regeneration at Purcell, said: “The new archive centre will provide an important public resource that will allow people to easily tap into Cornwall’s history. Our design will take advantage of the unique qualities of the brewery and carefully integrate contemporary archive and learning facilities. This is a fantastic project and we are excited to be working with Cornwall Council and the local community as the plans are developed.”