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V&A at Dundee / Kengo Kuma & Associates


© Kengo Kuma & Associates

In November 2010, we announced that Kengo Kuma & Associates was selected over a competitive A-list of international architects to design Scotland’s landmark building, the V&A at Dundee. Well now, the £45 million, waterfront project is moving forward as it has just been approved by the city council!

As reported on BDOnline, Philip Long, director of the V&A at Dundee, stated: “This now allows us to move further with elements of the design and building program, including procurement and tendering, and we will be doing that in due course.”

Continue after the break to learn more about Kengo Kuma’s design for the museum.
Master Plan Circulation, Ground Level Plan © Kengo Kuma & Associates

The V&A at Dundee is designed to integrate within a new system of public spaces that will connect the existing city center of Dundee to the new cultural facility of the V&A. This network will consist of the soon-to-be renovated Railway Station’s square, an Urban Plaza proposed on the east of the Discovery, and a new Museum Plaza that will reshape Dundee’s riverfront with a social space that can accommodate temporary exhibitions, events and summer pavilions.
Entrance © Kengo Kuma & Associates

The exterior spaces of the museum, along with it’s new riverfront promenade, will create a seamless connection between inside and outside. Where the “museum plaza” meets the stone facade, it’s floor will transform into a wooden deck that literally bisects the museum through the middle and then organically reconnects to the existing waterfront on the east side of the building. This will create an engaging, dynamic relationship between the waterfront, deck promenade and the V&A, while “avoiding the perception of the museum as a self-standing extraneous object in the river”.
Main Hall © Kengo Kuma & Associates

A large, welcoming public hall will serve as a lively and flexible public square that can accommodate a variety of uses, such as concerts, art workshops, installations, large-scale exhibitions and art pieces, and more. Large exhibition galleries, a ‘Design In Action’ center, museum shop, cafe and restaurant are just a few programs that this public space will lead to, attracting international visitors and everyday citizens to this world class center of the arts and design.
Main Hall © Kengo Kuma & Associates

A large staircase along the public hall façade, entirely open toward the full height space, will connect the public hall to the exhibition spaces on the upper level of the building. Here you can find the main, 1,200 square meter gallery – the biggest exhibition space in Scotland – and the Scotland National Design center, that will host semi-permanent international and Scottish design collections.
View of the river Tay from the restaurant © Kengo Kuma & Associates

Located above the main entrance and facing the main hall, the design center will include a practitioner hall with its double height on the mezzanine. This space will be visible to the visitors, but only from a privileged point of view that does not interfere or disturb the designers at work.

The museum will also offer spectacular views of the Tay River from a café’ terrace and suspended restaurant.
© Kengo Kuma & Associates

Location: Dundee, Scotland UK
Client: V&A at Dundee, Design Dundee Ltd
Site area: approx. 14,760 m2 (158,875 sqft) 
Total floor area 7,999 m2 (86,101 sqft)
Height: 17.75 m (3 storeys)
Occupancy: 860 visitors and 76 staff

Design Team: Kengo Kuma, Teppei Fujiwara, Maurizio Mucciola, Kazuya Katagiri, Masaki Kakizoe, Maria-Chiara Piccinelli, Akira Kindo, Masafumi Harigai, Rika Hiratsuji, Hajime Kita, Masaru Shuku, Hiroki Saito, Kimio Suzuki
Architect of Record: CRE8 ARCHITECTURE (Edinburgh)
Structural/Maritime and Civil Engineer: ARUP UK (Edinburgh)
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: ARUP UK (Edinburgh)
Landscape: OPTIMISED ENVIRONMENTS (Edinburgh)
Quantity Surveyor: CBA (Edinburgh)
CDM/DDA Consultant: C-MIST (Edinburgh)
BREEAM Consultant: BRE Scotland