Landscape design contest for Imperial War Museum North

The Imperial War Museum North has joined with RIBA's Competitions Office to find an architect to design a "spectacular and dramatic" landscape around the landmark Salford Quays building.

The contest was devised to improve the areas next to the Daniel Libeskind-designed steel building opposite the Lowry arts centre and new base for the BBC at Media City UK.

The brief says the designs should "create a distinctive destination and context" for the £20m museum, which received significant funding and land donation from Peel Holdings to become a reality, eventually opening in 2002.

IWM North Director, Jim Forrester, added: "Our stunning Libeskind building continues to generate much interest and argument, and now, with the next phase of the Quays regeneration underway, we are ready to make more of its setting. The challenge is to make the outside areas of the museum as striking, memorable and rewarding as the building and its displays already are. To achieve this we are looking for remarkable designers with ideas which will give even more substance to our mission".

ITV Granada is widely expected to become a neighbour of the war museum, with talks progressing between the Manchester-based broadcaster and Peel about a partial relocation from Quay Street.

• Deadline for submisions of interest is 23 October 2008.