These dramatic images show how the new £185million Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre could look.
They indicate what preferred development partner Henry Boot Developments has in mind to replace the existing concert and conference venue at Bridge of Don.
A site on land owned by Aberdeen University, near the Rowett Institute, has been earmarked for the scheme.
The firm proposes a mixed-use development with increased exhibition and conference space, a four-star hotel and a casino.
Aberdeen City Council finance convener Willie Young said: “The exhibition centre itself will be underground – it is absolutely huge.
“The concert hall will be totally different. We have really come up with some innovative ideas.”
The current AECC would be sold for about £14.3million and the council would enter into a 35-year lease for the new complex.
It would underwrite it to the tune of £7.5million a year, but the authority expects to pay about £1.5million once income from naming rights and private investment is factored in.
Mr Young said the council would need financial help to “mitigate the risk to the taxpayer”.
The preference is to approach the Scottish Government for help, either in the form of direct financial assistance or an agreement to let the council keep a larger share of the business rates generated in the city.
Mr Young said Aberdeen was the only local authority which generated more business rates for the government than it received.
Ideally, the council would like a £6million return, but even £3million or £4million would go some way towards the council’s costs, he said.
The Labour councillor said that as the government had helped Glasgow and Edinburgh with their exhibition centres, it should do the same for Aberdeen.
Help from Scottish Enterprise is another option as is approaching local oil companies which use the AECC.
Mr Young said: “Alternatively, we could go to foreign nationals and ask them if they will help deliver the project.
“If that is the case, I think it would be a huge slap in the face to the Scottish Government which is helping Edinburgh and Glasgow but not Aberdeen.
“We are not asking for anything more, all we are asking for is the same.
“The government has forgotten about us because the colour of this admin- istration is not their colour.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We will review any request as appropriate.”