About 300 people attended the official re-opening of Coventry's multi-million pound art gallery and museum.

The final phases of the spectacular £20 million transformation and extension of The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Jordan Well in the city centre have been completed.

The Herbert redevelopment project has been jointly funded by Coventry City Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Renaissance West Midlands, the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Wolfson Foundation Fund, Advantage West Midlands and English Heritage.

An impressive new courtyard entrance has been created for the 1960s venue which overlooks Coventry Cathedral and University Square.

The major 6,600 sqm project, which was designed by award-winning architects Pringle Richards Sharratt, has led to the opening of state-of-the-art temporary and permanent History, Art, Elements, Discover Godiva and Peace and Reconciliation galleries.

There is also a studio for performances and events, the History Centre for the city's archives and local history collections, and learning spaces.

Guests including Mick Elliott, the director of culture at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Lord Mayor of Coventry Cllr Andy Matchet, Cllr Ken Taylor, Leader of Coventry City Council, Cllr John Mutton, the leader of the Labour group on Coventry City Council, Keith Railton, chair of The Coventry Heritage & Arts Trust, and Katie Foster, chair of the West Midlands Committee for the Heritage Lottery Fund, oversaw the event.

Keith said: "Looking out into the heart of Coventry through the great glass screen of the covered court, we can see the past of the city and its re-birth after the war so evocatively symbolised by the cathedral.

"We also see the future symbolised by Coventry University with its mission to shape the thinking of future generations.

"Against that dramatic backdrop it is very clear to see how an organisation like ours that holds some of the cultural and historic assets of the past, and is dedicated to using them as a catalyst for a vibrant future, can inspire the sort of creative thinking that was the hallmark of Sir Alfred Herbert and help to develop Coventry as one of the major cities of the region in the 21st century."

Ludo Keston, chief executive of The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, said this was a significant event in the cultural life of the city and has seen significant investment brought to Coventry for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

"We are all immensely proud of the transformation and I'm sure the Herbert family will share those feelings," he said.

"The work has been carried out in phases and the new courtyard entrance will create a new tourist gateway in the city to The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and Coventry Cathedral."