A new multi-million-pound National Collections Facility could bring Scotland's most significant artworks under one roof.

The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) is progressing plans to create a purpose-built centre at Granton on the waterfront in Edinburgh.

It is hoped the new venue, which would be built near to the former Granton gasworks on a piece of land granted to the NGS by the Scottish Government, will boost the regeneration of the area.

Thousands of works are stored in different locations around the city and the new venue would bring together pieces dating from the Renaissance to the present day, ranging from pop art by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol to Scottish creations by John Bellany and John Byrne.

NGS, which runs three major attractions in Edinburgh, said the project would help the team care for, study and share Scotland’s iconic collection, which would be open to the public.

The organisation is working on a development brief that will consider what will be done with its current storage unit at Granton and the historic Madelvic Car Factory building which forms part of the site.

Staff at NGS have pledged to retain the area’s industrial heritage within the new energy-efficient building and to work alongside the National Museum of Scotland, which opened a £12m facility for its collections at Granton last year.

A planning application is likely to be submitted by mid-2017, with construction expected to start before 2020.

The exact cost of the project is yet to be confirmed, however NGS is in talks with the Scottish Government about funding options.

John Leighton, director-general of the NGS, said: "It is our intention that a new National Collections Facility will provide first-rate conditions not just for looking after our national art collection but also for researching it and sharing it more widely.

"The proposed facility will also greatly reduce our overall energy usage and costs and will allow us to work with the local community to create a positive future for the local area."