South Dorset’s Tank Museum is to gain 81,000sq ft (7,500sq m) of extra exhibition space following a £8.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The project includes a new building to present and conserve one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of armoured vehicles and to develop a facility which will reveal the human stories of war.

So far, the museum has suffered from cramped conditions, leaving around 150 tanks exposed to the elements because there is no room to house them.

The new display hall will include better environmental protection for the most treasured items while also providing more internal floor space for the vehicles currently stored outside.

There are also plans to create more of an experience for guests, said museum director John Woodward. “Few people ever experience first hand the true horrors of war and we want to recreate the reality as closely as we can without live ammunition being fired,” Woodward said.

“The development grant will enable us to improve the displays and help visitors gain more knowledge from our globally unique collection.”

The new buildings have been designed by architects Kennedy O’Callaghan, with King Shaw Associates providing building services engineering.

Construction of the new facilities is expected to begin later this year with completion due in March 2009. The museum owns around 300 tanks from 26 countries.