A major renovation by Cox Architects and Neeson Murcutt will expand touring exhibition halls and create new facilities at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

The attraction closed to the public from 19 August for the improvements, that will see storage space being repurposed to give the museum 1,500sq m (4,900sq ft) of additional touring exhibition halls across two levels.

This capacity means it could host either one major exhibition or two smaller exhibitions simultaneously.

Project Discover has a budget of AUS$57.5m (US$38.9m, €34.9m, £32.1m), most of which has been provided by the New South Wales Government, leaving a balance of AUS$7m (US$4.7m, €4.25m, £3.9m) to be raised by the museum.

Further developments include new education facilities and retailing, a second café, expanded members' lounge, improved circulation and wayfinding, which will be enabled by the installation of a new central staircase, escalators, and improved public amenities that cater for families and those with accessibility needs.

The work needs to be completed in time for the museum to host the Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh exhibition, early in 2021. Sydney will be the fifth city to host the 150 artefacts from Tutankhamun's tomb, with the exhibition running for six months.

Founded 190 years ago, the Australian Museum is Australia's oldest.

Neeson Murcutt won awards in 2016 for its creation of the museum's award-winning Crystal Hall.

Sydney's Australian Museum plans AU$57.5m expansion

Australia's first museum unveils AU$285m redevelopment masterplan