Shrewsbury’s historic Music Hall is to be transformed into A Shropshire Portal, which will see York paving leading visitors through the building into a piazza housing a 100-seater cafe and bistro.

The building will be used to showpiece historical collections from Shropshire.

Visitors will be able to view them and learn where in the county they can go to find out more.

The £10.6m million tourism project will also see shops incorporated into the building selling goods about Shropshire or made in the county and will have an education and activity suite for youngsters.

Dominic Wallis, arts officer at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council said: “I think A Shropshire Portal at the Old Music Hall really will be very impressive and will make a huge difference to the town and the county.

“The 100-cover restaurant will be right slap bang in the heart of the complex. The York paving will lead the way through the ground floor and there will be a piazza, a square, right in the middle of the Music Hall.

“The building will be opened right up so you will more or less be walking through a colonnade straight to the cafe and restaurant. People will be surrounded by 13th century archaeology as well as very modern glass, steel and brick.”

The Music Hall closed on January 4 and staff moved to the new Theatre Severn in Frankwell. The building will also be used as offices for 19 staff and the museum collections storage.