A new museum memorial centre acting as a leading light for leisure restoration projects could be in line to receive two design awards.

The National Mining Memorial Centre at the National Mining Museum Scotland has been nominated for a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) award, as well as an Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA) award in the Small Projects category.

Located at the Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, the centre is housed in one of Scotland’s first super-pits built in 1895.

A re-washer building at the pit, created in the 1930s, has been given new purpose with the creation of memorial, exhibition and storytelling spaces, with the centre coming as the last stop for those taking National Mining Museum Scotland’s tour.

Three floors of the centre provide exhibition and educational spaces, while the first and second floors play host to a library and research facilities, as well as an area dedicated for storytelling.

Costing in the region of £130,000 to restore, the memorial centre was designed by Purcell’s Edinburgh studio, which had to retain a number of industrial features to help visitors understand the site’s history.

The project also featured work completed by John Dennis Construction, structural engineers Elliot and Company and quantity surveyors Thomson Gray.

“The Friends, staff and volunteers at National Mining Museum Scotland had long held aspirations to create a facility that commemorated an industry which changed our culture, landscape and economy at immense personal cost,” said mining museum director Rowan Brown.

“We owe a huge debt to our funders, without whose generous support, the project could not have been realised. It was with great pride that we opened the National Memorial Centre, a resource dedicated to serving our mining communities, past, present and future.”

The National Mining Memorial Centre is open from 10am until 5pm, seven days a week.