22 September 2011Last updated at 19:34

In pictures: Colchester's firstsite arts centre completed

The exterior of the new firstsite visual arts centre in Colchester

The long-awaited opening of Colchester's firstsite visual arts centre takes place on Sunday. The 3,200 sq m (34,445 sq ft) building is the new home of the town's contemporary arts organisation of the same name and will be used to host a number of exhibitions, film screenings and educational programmes.

Exterior of the new firstsite visual arts centre in Colchester

Construction of the £28m building has taken almost five years and has been beset by several delays and exceeded its original £16m estimation. The centre has been funded by Colchester Borough Council, Essex County Council, Arts Council England East, the East of England Development Agency and the University of Essex.

Plan of the new firstsite building in Colchester

The one-storey semi-circular building has been designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects on the site of the former bus station. Because it is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument site of Roman town houses, it has no foundations and has been built on a ring beam.

The interior of the new firstsite visual arts centre in Colchester

The building, which has replaced firstsite's Minories home, is one of the largest of its kind in the east of England. It is hoped the building, in the St Botolphs quarter of the town on the site of a former Roman settlement, will attract 80,000 visitors a year.

The Berryfield Mosaic at the firstsite visual arts centre

The only permanent exhibit at the new firstsite building is the Roman Berryfield Mosaic. First unearthed in 1923 it would originally have been part of the dining room floor in one of the Roman town houses on this site. Last year, it was removed from its previous home at Colchester Castle and restored.

The auditorium at the new firstsite visual arts centre in Colchester

The 190-seat auditorium at the new firstsite visual arts centre in Colchester will be used to host talks and debates, show films and be hired out for conferences. As well as four gallery rooms, there is also a designated gallery for works belonging to the University of Essex.

Sign for the first exhibition at the new firstiste arts centre

The inaugural exhibition to be held at the new firstsite building will be called "Camulodunum" - the ancient name for Colchester. It includes work by Ai Weiwei, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, Grayson Perry and Aleksandra Mir.

Part of the "Hello Colchester" exhibit that makes up the Camulodunum exhibition at the new firstsite building

One of the pieces of work in the "Camulodunum" exhibition is called "Hello Colchester". Created by Aleksandra Mir, it is a pictorial chain in which each image is linked by one of the people in it, from 16th Century paintings through to 21st Century digital photographs.

Essex

In pictures: Colchester's firstsite arts centre completed

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