Site selected and architect sought for V&A at Dundee

The Scottish outpost for the V&A is planned to open in 2014 on a waterfront site to the south of Craig Harbour.

As part of a two-stage architectural competition, designers will be invited to make proposals for a building that reflects the V&A at Dundee projects partnership’s desire to stimulate commerce as well as local and visitor interest.

The £47m project is being delivered by a partnership between the V&A, the Unversity of Dundee, the University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise.

Professor Pete Downes, principal of the University of Dundee, says, ‘The announcement of the site and the launch of the design competition bring this exciting project two big steps towards reality.’

He adds, ‘Since the announcement of Scottish Government support for the project in August last year, each of the partners has been working to bring us to this stage. The next step will be the formation of a charitable company to carry the project forward and we will be making announcements on that very soon.’

Speaking to Design Week about the Dundee plans last year, V&A director Sir Mark Jones said the selected architect would have to answer a brief to ‘create a venue for our shows, but also create a new buzz and image for the city’.

The V&A is also planning an outpost in Blackpool.