Lord Attenborough arts centre due to open in Brighton

Lord Attenborough, seen here in 2008, was Chancellor of the University of Sussex

A Brighton arts centre is to be renamed in honour of Richard Attenborough when it reopens later this year.

The Gardner Arts Centre on the University of Sussex campus, closed since 2007, is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment.

It will be known as the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) when it reopens in September.

Lord Attenborough, who died last year, was the former chancellor of the university.

Early in his career, Lord Attenborough was hailed for his 1947 portrayal of teenage hoodlum and murderer Pinkie in Brighton Rock.

The university said the ACCA was also intended to be a memorial to his daughter Jane, a Sussex alumnus, who died in the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.

Lord Attenborough's younger daughter Jane (far right) died in the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004

Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Farthing said the university was tremendously excited about the reopening of the grade II* listed arts centre.

"Our ambition is to see the ACCA become a dynamic cultural focus for the university campus and wider community, providing a home for the creative arts and creativity in its widest sense and serving as a catalyst for innovation and learning," he said.

The building, designed by Sir Basil Spence, was opened in November 1969 and originally named after local businessman Dr T Lyddon Gardner.

The arts centre was originally opened in 1969 and is now a Grade II* listed building