Royal Academy of Arts is expected to appoint John Sisk for the £30m revamp of its Burlington site in central London.
The plans includes linking the main Burlington House academy building to 6 Burlington Gardens, acquired in 2001. Also, a new 300 seat auditorium will be added and student teaching spaces and galleries at Burlington House will be improved.
Work is due to start on the project in the autumn and run for around 18 months.
The Burlington Gardens site offers Atelier, a cafe that serves a seasonally-inspired menu of hot food, salads, robust sandwiches, plus cakes and pastries, in a stylish setting designed by multidisciplinary practice Lyn Atelier. The eatery is open 8.30am-6pm every day.