New works by Antony Gormley and Portuguese contemporary artist Leonor Antunes have been announced as the inaugural commissions at the Box, the new £40m museum and heritage space in Plymouth that will open this spring.

Gormley’s LOOK II is an “anthropomorphic cast iron sculpture” that features 22 iron blocks made into a twice-lifesize figure. It will be installed at the city’s historic West Hoe Pier.

Antunes, who represented Portugal at the 2019 Venice Biennale, has created a stained glass window in a church that has been converted into an art space and also has a sculpture exhibition.

Nigel Hurst, head of contemporary arts at the Box, said the two commission show was a “statement of intent” for the museum. “This is hugely important, in terms of the growth of the city,” said Hurst.

“More artists are choosing to live in the south-west because of the prohibitive costs of living in London, so we need a programme that brings the historic collection to life for modern audiences, and also provides a high-quality contemporary offering.”

Gormley said: “I am delighted by the site and honoured that this work has been commissioned by Plymouth to look out over the sea that has played such an important part in forming the outward-looking character of these islands.”

The fused glass window for St Luke’s Church 2 by Leonor Antunes, which is part of the Box in Plymouth. Photograph: c/o Leonor Antunes

The Box is the flagship building for the Mayflower 400 commemorations, which will celebrate the anniversary of the pilgrims’ voyage from Plymouth to Massachusetts in 1620. It combines the original city museum, art gallery and central library buildings and restores St Luke’s Church, where Antunes’ work will sit.

Antunes, who has been commissioned to create a new public art installation, said her stained glass window, which was inspired by a section of the 1726 book Insects of Surinam by the pioneering naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, “celebrates female craftmanship and exploration”.

She told the Guardian the window was an “interesting challenge” and she worked with a Swiss company to create the pane that will permanently sit in St Luke’s Church.

“The nature of the space is changed and it is no longer a church. It’s becoming a gallery space, and being able to do something new was incredibly exciting,” said Antunes. “It is also a chance to create something that speaks to the city and its relationship to the coast and the water and this idea of exchange.”

In 2019, the Box announced that a collection of 19th-century wooden figureheads from British naval warships would be suspended from its ceiling after being restored. The 14 figureheads, which were badly water-damaged, include a two tonne figure of William IV carved in Devonport, Plymouth in 1833.

There is no official opening date for the Box, but it is expected to open in spring this year, according to Hurst, who said the museum would help to create a “permanent legacy” in the city.