A STUNNING new extension has doubled the size of Manchester Art Gallery in a £35million transformation aimed at increasing access to the city's art collections.

The revamped gallery, which opens next Saturday, will also bring about a dramatic improvement for visitors, with twice as much space for the presentation of the city's internationally acclaimed art collection and a superb new gallery for special exhibitions.

Under architect Sir Michael Hopkins' scheme, the new extension's striking stone and glass facade blends with the existing buildings to create a new landmark for the city centre.

The existing city art gallery and Athenaeum have been cleaned and refurbished, bringing new areas of the gallery into public use for the first time, and the beauty of interior and exterior stonework has been restored by the removal of decades of grime.

The gallery will provide a host of improvements and additions for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Included in the attractions will be a programme of events for children, starting with the visit next Saturday from mesmerising storyteller Hugh Lupton, who will be recounting Tales of Wisdom and Wonder.

And on Father's Day, June 16, children aged from two to five will be invited to take their dads along to create poetry with performance poet Philip Wells, taking inspiration from his book, Daddy Island.

And artist Clare Beaton will be showing children how to make glove puppets in A Handful of Animals on Saturday, July 6.

The expanded gallery floorspace will allow more art to be available to the public, including items from the rich 20th century collection and rarely-seen works on paper which will be on permanent display for the first time.

The Clore Interactive Gallery is aimed at children aged 5-12 years and accompanying adults. A range of permanent artworks from the collection, including historic Japanese armour and a 17th century Dutch still life painting by de Heem, provides the starting point for a series of 22 interactives.

The whole of the ground floor will be devoted to facilities for life-long learning. Two new education studios for schools and colleges and a lecture theatre for talks and other events are part of an expanded education programme.

And a new gallery of craft and design, due to open this summer, will provide visitors with a dramatic introduction to decorative art, craft and design.

FACTFILE:

Address: Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL

Tel: 0161 235 8888

Website: www.manchestergalleries.org

Opening hours (from May 25): Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays.

Access: Visitors with disabilities are welcome, as are guide dogs and hearing dogs for the deaf.