Members of the public have been given a virtual reality tour of the new look Perth City Hall.
Designers behind the venue’s £20 million revamp offered residents a glimpse of the future using hi-tech goggles.
The computer simulation showed headset wearers how the hall could look when it becomes a major arts venue.
Realistic graphics showed how the Stone of Destiny would sit at the centre of the main gallery.
It also revealed proposals for a large bronze recessed frame at the main entrance, which is a departure from initial designs showing a glass gateway.
The council’s head of culture Fiona Robertson hosted the VR stand, in a marquee outside the city hall, on Saturday. She was joined by designers from Dutch firm Mecanoo, who are leading the project.
She said: “These virtual reality headsets are a great way to give people a sense and scale of how the museum could look.”
“It offers a taste of how we plan to use some of the paintings and artefacts in our collection, as well as the Stone of Destiny which we are still trying to secure as a centrepiece.”
She added: “We have spent a long time thinking about where to put exhibits such as the Carpow logboat.
“But we also wanted to give people the chance to see the designs for more practical things like stairs and toilets. If we don’t get those things right, it can make the trip to the museum less enjoyable and can even put people off coming back.”
Ms Robertson said Mecanoo had shown itself to be very open to collaboration and this would pay dividends for Perth.
“This isn’t a company who are going to impose their own vision on us,” she added.
“They have been working very closely with us on these designs and it has been a very intensive experience to get everything right.
“The next step will be the planning application and we are aiming to submit this before the end of the year.”
An application for Heritage Lottery funding will also be submitted in the coming weeks.
If all goes to plan, construction could begin in April with a completion date of early 2021.
