Wilkinson Eyre's designs for 'Museum of the Future' include glowing 'brain' beacon and new cosmology gallery

The Science Museum in London has unveiled proposals for a 拢150m revamp designed by Wilkinson Eyre.

Science Museum

As well as a complete overhaul of its interior spaces, the 鈥淢useum of the Future鈥 scheme will have a glowing red beacon bulging from the facade facing Exhibition Road. Already nicknamed 鈥淭he Brain鈥, Wilkinson Eyre said the beacon would 鈥渟ignal that the Museum is quite literally 鈥榝ull to bursting鈥 with energy and ideas.鈥

Science Museum

Other highlights include a top floor gallery known as 鈥淪kyspace鈥, with a gilded roof made up of a series of parabolas. Inside will be a large open space dedicated to cosmology. Concept images show a Tintin-like spacecraft and planetarium-style constellations projected on the ceiling.

Science Museum

The scheme was launched today by business secretary Peter Mandelson with the hope that funding can be found to make the proposals a reality by 2014.

Science Museum

Molly Jackson, acting director of the National Museum of Science and Industry, of which the Science Museum is a part, said: 鈥淢useum of the Future is a vision which will place the Science Museum amongst the international great cultural 鈥榮paces鈥. This proposal will ensure that in its second century and beyond the Science Museum continues to be one of the world鈥檚 leading museums.鈥