UK culture secretary praises the progress of Dundee’s V&A

Museum is at the heart of the city’s waterfront project

The UK culture secretary praised progress on Dundee’s waterfront development during a visit to the city’s new V&A museum.

Karen Bradley, who was joined on the tour by V&A Dundee Director Philip Long, described the waterfront regeneration as “truly transformational” and added that the new museum will raise the profile of the city.

Opening in 2018, V&A will be the first museum in Scotland dedicated to design and the first building in the UK designed by Kengo Kuma, the internationally renowned architect who is also designing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium.

Ms Bradley said: “It has been fantastic to see how this inspirational project is developing.

“V&A Museum of Design Dundee will be a great asset for the city – telling Scotland’s unique story from the 1400s to the present day – and raising the profile of Dundee in the UK and abroad.

“Cultural investment can have an enormous impact on cities – it drives tourism, boosts the local economy, creates jobs and makes people feel good.

“Dundee clearly understands this and the city’s £1 billion waterfront regeneration will be truly transformational.

“I can’t wait to see the finished museum when it opens next year.”

The museum will present the largely untold story of Scotland’s design achievements, bringing together in one place the world-renowned V&A collections with loans from other collections in Scotland and beyond.

The £80.11 million project is at the heart of Dundee’s ambitious £1bn waterfront regeneration.

V&A Dundee Director Philip Long said: “It is really wonderful to see the museum take shape.

“Cultural investment can have a transformational impact and I believe the waterfront regeneration we are part of will have a hugely positive effect on Dundee and the surrounding area.”

V&A Dundee has been established in close partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, accessing its collections, expertise and exhibitions.

It is run independently with its own director and, as well as bringing V&A exhibitions to Scotland, it will develop its own exhibitions.

Pictures: Alan Richardson. Karen Bradley, centre, secretary of state for digital culture, media and sport, tours the V&A Museum of Design construction site with V&A director Philip Long and Lesley Knox, chairwoman of the board of the new museum.

The £80 million V&A Museum of Design is due to open next year.