THIS is the first look at how the University of Bolton’s new £10 million National Centre for Motorsport and Advanced Engineering could look.

Plans have been submitted to the council for the first phase of work on the flagship new centre, after outline permission for the major scheme in Deane Road — which will also include plans with Bolton Sixth Form College for a new sports hall and 3G pitch — was granted last year.

The latest proposals have been produced by international design firm Hassell and include artist’s impressions of how the new centre could look.

The proposed three-storey building will reach a height of 13 metres and cover a footprint of 1535sq m.

It is thought that 550 students and 30 staff will occupy the new building — which will replace the current Centre for Advanced Performance Engineering.

The design includes an open forecourt where ‘super cars’ will be on display as well as a ‘boulevard’ area, which can be divided up with partitions to resemble a pit-stop scenario.

The design statement reads: “The Boulevard sits parallel to The Showroom and varying transparencies along the boundary of the two spaces creates ‘peep holes’ to the behind-the-scenes engineering of these exquisite vehicles on display.

“At one end of The Boulevard a sliding wall partition opens up to create a physical interaction between the show space and the workspace for events.”

These working spaces will stack upwards and stagger to create a “dynamic triple height void” which will give an opportunity for an innovative vertical display.

A “dramatic glazed corner” will frame the different cars displayed on podiums and plinths at different heights, with views into the showroom available from all areas of the building, aided by a large circular skylight and a feature staircase.

The designers said the primary influence of the plans come from exploring key attributes of a race car and the relationship between ‘the body’ and ‘the engine’ and how parts are concealed and revealed.

A University of Bolton spokesman said: “Students studying Advanced Performance Engineering will have access to the best and most contemporary equipment in a purpose built environment.

"This will further cement the University of Bolton as a leader in Advanced Performance Engineering, and make it a hugely desirable prospect to potential students.”