Patna, Dec. 28: Japan-based Maki & Associates with its Indian partner Opolis is believed to be the frontrunner in the design race of the ambitious project of the New Patliputra Museum. The final approval and announcement of the selected architect would be made within a week.

A senior officer of the building construction department, on the condition of anonymity, told The Telegraph: “The design for the proposed international museum prepared by the Japan-based firm and its Indian partner is the frontrunner among all the designs.”

The building construction department is responsible for selecting the architect for the museum. However, the state cabinet would make the final approval and announcement.

Earlier, the five firms — Austria-based Coop Himmelb(l)au with Archohm (Indian partner), London-based Foster and Partners with CP Kukreja & Associates (Indian partner), Japan-based Maki & Associates with Opolis (Indian partner), Norway-based Snohetta with Spacematters (Indian partner) and US-based Studio Daniel Libeskind with Morphogenesis (Indian partner) — had made their presentations before chief secretary Navin Kumar, building construction department secretary Sushil Kumar, art culture principal secretary C. Lalsota and human resource development principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh on November 27.

The construction of the museum is expected to be start in 2012 and 2015 has been fixed as the deadline for this project. Spread across an area of around 13.2 acres on the southern flank of Bailey Road between LN Mishra Institute and the Hartali Mor railway crossing, the museum will be built according to world class standards, reflecting the contribution of Bihar to the world civilisation.

The responsibility of developing the museum is with the department of art, culture and youth. Canada-based Lord Cultural Resources is the master-planning consultant for the ambitious project.

The theme of the museum would be contribution of Bihar to world history and civilisation. Apart from these, Nalanda and Vikramshila, which housed the first universities, would be showcased. It would house historical stone, bronze and terracotta sculptures and artefacts related to ancient Patliputra. It would also include tales related to Buddha, Mahavir, Ashoka and other political, literary and scientific leaders from those periods.

Moreover, such collections would be complemented with audiovisual and interactive sessions. The new museum would also have a separate block for children.