NO4029 : Discovery Point
taken 5 years ago, near to Tay Road Bridge, Perth And Kinross, Scotland
Royal Research Ship ‘Discovery’ was purpose-built as an expedition ship for the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901- 04. The keel was laid in March 1900 by the Dundee Shipbuilding Co. – the only other firm to tender was Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. By that time, wooden shipbuilding was becoming a thing of the past.
Launched on 21 March 1901, she was the sixth ship to bear the name ‘Discovery’. The voyage south began in August 1901 and the ship reached McMurdo Sound in the Ross Sea in January 1902. Amongst their equipment was a hydrogen balloon which was inflated and sent up, tethered to the ship, with an observer in the basket for a much wider view of the surrounding area. Scott made the first ascent to 800 feet in February 1902, followed by Shackleton taking his place with a camera. The furthest south (82º 17´) was reached in December 1902 by Scott, Shackleton and Wilson. The ship returned north reaching the Isle of Wight in September 1904, with much exploratory and scientific work accomplished.
Much more detail is given in ‘The Voyage of ‘The Discovery’’, Capt. Robert F Scott, John Murray, London 1950 reprint, first edn. 1905.
For more on the Dundee Heritage Trust and Discovery’s history please see Link
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 .