NO4029 : New building styles in Dundee
taken 6 years ago, near to Tay Road Bridge, Perth And Kinross, Scotland
A new international centre for design in Scotland, a platform for exhibiting Scottish designs. The building is a landmark on Dundee’s waterfront, an area that has seen considerable renewal over the last decade or so. The project was approved by Dundee City Council in August 2013. Construction at the site, by BAM Construction, began in March 2015 and the museum opened on 15 September 2018. The cost was initially estimated to be about £45m but that figure was later revised to £80m. The museum has exhibition and gallery spaces, offices, spaces for work and design, and a restaurant and café, as well as the obligatory gift shop.
The design of the building is striking, essentially two intersecting, inverted pyramids, so that on the south side it overhangs the River Tay, and two terraces give views over the river, both SW towards Perth and northeast out to sea. From some aspects it is ship-like in appearance, reflecting both its waterfront location and Dundee’s historic maritime associations. It is also reminiscent of waves and Scottish coastal cliffs. It is clad with horizontal concrete bands of reconstituted stone which, as well as being visually interesting, is expected to provide thermal mass to the building, keeping the galleries warm in winter and cool in summer. It was designed by the Japanese architectural practice Kengo Kuma & Associates, who were chosen from a short list of six from an international competition that attracted participation from 120 firms.
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More photos were taken on a second visit in January 2023, to see the exhibition ‘Plastic: Remaking Our World’ [until 5 Jan. 2023]. A fascinating and eye-opening exhibition in three parts:- the history and development of plastics; their current applications and use [and misuse]; and the future possibilities for innovative uses. V&A Dundee · Plastic: Remaking Our World opens at V&A Dundee Link .