Oxford's Ashmolean Museum has submitted a planning application to the city council for the expansion of its Egyptian collection.

The £5.25m project would see part of the 17th century Grade I-listed structure demolished to to make room for new lighting and showcases and the complete redevelopment of the gallery. Outlining the reasons behind the proposal, the museum's application cites the current gallery's isolation from other displays, its dead-end formation which hinders wayfinding and the legibility of the collection, the fact that it is dark and confusing, that larger exhibits are cramped and displays are generally crowded, and - not least - that it doesn't comply with current Disability Discrimination Act requirements.

A museum spokesperson said that - providing permission is granted - work on the project could begin some time next year. The museum reopened at the end of 2009 following the completion of a major £61m redevelopment. More recently, it has been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2010 for the best new European building built or designed in Britain.