Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
A whale of a time is ahead at Waterfront
A MAJOR overhaul of Dundee Waterfront appears to be back on track with a design team for the much talkedabout whale sculpture to be offically appointed.
The huge humpback whale will be created by London-based and award winning young artist Lee Simmons.
It will be his first sculpture in Scotland and will be the centrepiece of a new interactive playpark at Waterfont Place.
The council’s city development commitment is likely to formally approve the formation of a design team, led by Lee, at a cost of £135,000.
Gregor Hamilton, Dundee City Council’s head of planning, said the whale will “act as a beacon” within the playpark.
He said: “The size and scale of the structure will be designed to complement its surroundings, whilst accommodating both convincing aesthetic values and visual strength.
“The whale-like structure will be formed in tubular sections that will follow the contours of the humpback whale.
“The structure will flow from the northern entrance of Waterfront Place with the tail arching towards the Tay to capture a sense of the whale’s movement in suspended animation.”
The park will provide users with a multi-sensory experience using sound, light and an interactive canvas beneath the whale.
A competition for the commission saw seven submissions, with four shortlisted before Lee’s design was selected.
Meanwhile, Discovery Point’s redevelopment is back on the table, with the committee also likely to approve continued financial backing for it.
Dundee Heritage Trust is looking to renew a grant of £200k to continue its planning for the creation of a five-attraction site.
The money was previously awarded as part of a £250k grant for the year 2019-20. However the trust spent just £50k last year and so the remaining money is to be officially carried over.
Deirdre Robertson, chief executive at Discovery Heritage Trust, said last year’s cash was mainly spent on a survey of the ship, which identified £1.3 million of repair work – £327k of which was classed as urgent.
She said: “The remaining £200,000 will be spent on developing plans for the Discovery Point regeneration, working with architects, getting the plans ready and professional fees.”
The tourist attraction’s plans include a climate change gallery and dome experience in the top of the building, offering a 360 degree view of the city.
Mrs Robertson said: “It’s not starting until 2023-24 but we’re looking to see if we can bring that forward as we’re further on than we thought we would be.
“We didn’t allow Covid to set us back. We were encouraged not to lose momentum and could have easily done that while trying to get revenue to help keep us going.
“The team has done a fantastic job to keep the project moving forward while applying for grants.”