Award-winning tourist venue may get £10m environmentally-friendly facelift

DUNDEE: Plans to renovate Discovery Point reach the drawing board

Discovery Point management are “optimistic” a £10 million transformation of the building could start by 2023.

Dundee Heritage Trust chief executive Deirdre Robertson has unveiled images of how the new, “eco-friendly” building could look.

Drawings were revealed at a meeting of West End Community Council, showing new exhibition spaces and proposals to transform the dining area at the venue.

Ms Robertson explained the awardwinning visitor attraction – almost 30 years old – could also collaborate with Abertay University to bring virtual reality to the tourist hot-spot.

She believes the building “wasn’t designed for modern-day standards”, with spending on heating alone costing £155,000 a year.

Ms Robertson said: “The plan is to bring the retrofit building up to today’s environmental standards.

“These are indicative drawings at present but we like the direction in which the proposals are going.”

Members of the trust visited the Scottish Parliament last month to discuss the plans, which will also involve solar panels being fitted to the roof of a new cafe and restaurant to provide green energy for the building.

Ms Robertson said: “There is proposed funding from the Tay Cities Deal that is part of the proposals.

“Realistically, we need about £10m worth of funding and we are reaching out to other investors.

“Ideally we would like to start spending grant money from 2023/2024.

“We are optimistic this can happen but realistically it will take as long as it takes.

“Tim Allan, chairman of the board of V&A Dundee, has also seen the drawings and was positive about the image for Discovery Point.”

Vision: An artist’s impression of how the renovated Discovery Point could look.