Scotland’s first design museum, V&A Dundee will open to the public on Saturday, 15th September.
Located at the centre of the £1 billion transformation of Dundee’s Waterfront, the new museum has taken more than three years to complete.
Its design is inspired by the dramatic cliffs along the north-east coast of Scotland and it stretches out into the River Tay, the new landmark connecting the city with its historic waterfront.
Highlights of the museum
The Scottish Design Galleries, at the centre of the museum, feature 300 exhibits drawn from the V&A’s rich collections of Scottish design, as well as from museums and private collections across Scotland and the world.
It includes the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Oak Room meticulously restored, conserved and reconstructed through a partnership between V&A Dundee, Glasgow Museums and Dundee City Council.
Visitors to the museum will be able to experience in Mackintosh’s talent in designing this room, lost to view for nearly 50 years.
The first exhibition to open is Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, which will explore the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner on an international scale.
Making history
Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: “The opening of the museum is a historic occasion for Dundee, for the V&A, and for the very many people who played a vital part and supported its realisation. This is a very proud moment for all involved.
“V&A Dundee’s aspiration is to enrich lives, helping people to enjoy, be inspired by and find new opportunities through understanding the designed world. After years of planning, we are thrilled at being able to celebrate the realisation of the first V&A museum in the world outside London.”
The museum has been designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who describes it as a “new living room for the city”.
He said: “I’m truly in love with the Scottish landscape and nature. I was inspired by the cliffs of north-eastern Scotland – it’s as if the earth and water had a long conversation and finally created this stunning shape.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Oak Room has been restored and reconstructed.
"It is also fitting that the restored Oak Room by Charles Rennie Mackintosh is at the heart of this building as I have greatly admired his designs since I was a student. In the Oak Room, people will feel his sensibility and respect for nature, and hopefully connect it with our design for V&A Dundee.
“I hope the museum can change the city and become its centre of gravity. I am delighted and proud that this is my first building in the UK and that people will visit it from around the world.”
Group visits to the museum
The museum will be open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. Entry will be free but paid tickets may be needed for certain events and temporary exhibitions.
Group tours and talks will be available from 2019, to find out more contact bookings@vandadundee.org
Main image: V&A Dundee CREDIT Hufton + Crow.
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