ARTWORK at a Bournemouth museum will soon be seen as architects originally intended thanks to a £132,000 grant.

The historic Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum has been awarded the funding for its 'art galleries skylight project'.

Four of the attraction's Edwardian galleries have been earmarked for upgrades, each of which feature a stained glass window set into the ceiling.

The windows were installed to filter overhead light.

However, over time they have been degraded by the weather and are also no longer considered to be 'environmentally compliant'.

Museum bosses now plan to dismantle the rotten skylights and install new structures featuring tinted, toughened glass to reduce heat loss.

The stained glass will be conserved and repaired.

It is hoped that the project will allow the loan of important work in the future.

Councillor Lawrence Williams, Bournemouth cabinet member for tourism, culture and the arts said the "high-quality and sustainable solution" will recreate the light in the galleries, which was part of the original architectural design of the building.

"It signifies a major step forward in the improvement of these beautiful Edwardian galleries and the development of a major Bournemouth landmark, and will also increase its capacity to host internationally and historically important and valuable works of art and exhibitions," he said.

The planned changes will have a "transformative effect" that will improve care for the museum's collections, he said.

It will also allow the museum to borrow significant and high-value paintings and sculptures from larger museums and galleries as part of an ambitious exhibition programme planned up until 2020.

The money has been awarded from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Wolfson Museum and Galleries Improvement Fund.

The museum was also the recipient of a grant from the Sylvia Waddilove Foundation.