The man who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao could be chosen to design the new leisure centre in Hove.

Brighton and Hove City Council has produced a shortlist of four developers for the seafront redevelopment.

They will be asked to submit detailed proposals for a new sports centre and up to 400 flats.

One group of bidders includes Canadian architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in northern Spain.

The consortium also includes Anthony Gormley, who designed the Angel Of The North sculpture near Gateshead.

Also in this partnership are local firm Karis ING with Piers Gough of CZWG, Gehry Partners and HOK Sports.

Another bidder is Wilkinson Eyre, which won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2001 and 2002, for the "winking eye" footbridge linking Newcastle and Gateshead.

The bid also includes Barratt Southern Counties and the Brunswick Development Group with residential architects Lawrence and Wrightson and sports centre architects Stephen Limbrick Associates.

Lord Rogers, who chaired the Urban Task Force and is adviser to London Mayor Ken Livingstone, is behind another bid.

The Richard Rogers Partnership has been responsible for a range of landmark buildings including the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Lloyds building in London and the Millennium Dome.

His company is in a partnership with Countryside Properties and Arups.

The fourth bidder is Berkeley Homes with Sheppard Robson architects and Faulkner Brown, the sports and leisure architects.

Sports councillor Mike Middleton, who chaired the selection panel, said: "We're very pleased to have four strong teams to produce proposals for the site.

"Brighton and Hove stands to get a top-class sports centre.

"This is a vindication of the process we have adopted over the last year looking at all the options for the site.

"We look forward to seeing the design proposals early next year."

Environment councillor Chris Morley said: "The calibre of these bidders reflects the huge potential of the site.

"Among them are people capable of producing some of the finest modern buildings in the world - and that's what I want to see here."

The council has asked each shortlisted group to submit initial plans, including drawings and financial information, by the end of January. These will form the basis of a public exhibition during February.