One of the world’s biggest photography galleries is to open in the heart of Soho.

The state-of-the-art ‘cultural hub’ will become a major landmark boasting a cafe, bar and resource centre, as well as three exhibition spaces and a print shop selling new and vintage photographs.

It will transform the capital’s existing Photographers’ Gallery – now squeezed into two separate premises near Leicester Square – into a world-class destination.

Photographers’ Gallery director Brett Rogers had this to say: “We want to be on a par with Paris, New York, Amsterdam and Tokyo, all of which have big international centres for photography in the heart of the cities.” According to Rogers, the London venue will match New York’s in terms of space.

The £15.5 million project will be situated on Ramillies Street – used as a cut-through for pedestrians between Great Titchfield Street and Carnaby Street – and is expected to be open for business in 2010.

A scale model of the new building is os show at The Photographers’ Gallery and can be seen at www.photonet.org.uk