The National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Alrewas, Staffordshire, is set to undergo a £8m refurbishment, which aims to transform the 150-acre (61-hectare) site into a major centre for remembrance.

Established in 1997, the arboretum has seen more than 50,000 trees planted and is home to 160 memorials, including the Armed Forces Memorial dedicated to 16,000 service personnel who have died on duty since 1945.

The revamp will include an Armed Forces Pavilion, a 'Heroes Square', an exhibition space and an education facility, while Glenn Howells Architects has been appointed to remodel the surrounding landscape to unite the existing and new buildings.

NMA chief executive Charles Bagot Jewitt said: "Glenn Howells Architects' brief was to design a scheme which not only accommodates the vastly increased visitor numbers but that is also a fitting tribute to those that have given their lives in the service of their country.

"The team have created building and event space which we believe will inspire all that pass through our doors and add greatly to the experience of a visit."

Support for British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to an increase in visitors to the NMA in the last two years, and it is now expected that the site will attract nearly 500,000 visitors each year.

The NMA Future Foundations Appeal was launched in April earlier this year to help fund the scheme.

Image: Glenn Howells Architects