V&A at Dundee: An artist's impression of the new museum.
A new museum for Dundee has been awarded £9.2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The V&A at Dundee celebrates the best in Scottish design and showcases the country’s design heritage to the world.
The works of internationally renowned names such as Robert Adam, Christopher Dresser, Harris Tweed, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Phoebe Traquair and Bill Gibb are to be celebrated in the museum.
Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “For years Scotland has been making its mark in the world of international design. In our everyday lives, we use these designs, telephone, television, lawnmower, fountain pen, stamps, without being aware that they were created by fellow Scots.
“The V&A at Dundee will harness this incredible heritage and present it to the world as a celebration of Scottish talent. Housed in a stunning building, which itself reflects cutting-edge design, it has the potential to be a ‘must-see’ destination, attracting visitors and design professionals from across the globe.”
Philip Long, director of V&A at Dundee, said: “Scotland’s design heritage is centuries old, full of inspirational stories of talent, innovation and enterprise. Our designers have shaped the identity and industry of our country, and have contributed creatively around the world.
“The development of V&A at Dundee is an outstanding opportunity to help us understand and celebrate this remarkable heritage and from it take inspiration for the future. We are delighted to have this early support from Heritage Lottery Fund, which takes our vision and the remarkable building proposed for V&A at Dundee a significant step closer.”
The V&A at Dundee will be housed in a signature building projecting into the Tay estuary and designed by Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma. As well as dedicated exhibition space for long-term displays, it will allow major touring exhibitions of outstanding international design to come to Scotland for the first time.
The development of the V&A at Dundee will play a vital role in the regeneration of the city’s waterfront and is expected to receive 500,000 visitors in its first year.
V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a partnership between the Victoria and Albert Museum and Dundee City Council, the Universities of Dundee and Abertay Dundee, and Scottish Enterprise.
The money has been awarded at first-round pass which means it still has to go through a second-round application and the project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals.
