YouTube stars help Minecraft team top out Dundee business hub

Tech entrepreneurs Chris van der Kuyl and Paddy Burns have marked the 'topping out' ceremony for their Shed 25 project on the Dundee quayside by unveiling the commercial office development's new name '“ Water's Edge.

From left: YouTubers BigBst4tz2, ibxtoycat, Eckosoldier, Sqaishey and Stampy Cat, with Chris van der Kuyl, Paddy Burns and Stewart Clark of Tayforth Properties. Picture: Fraser Band

The duo – founders of 4J Studios, developer of the console editions of the hit video game Minecraft – were joined at the ceremony by a number of big names from the YouTube world, including Joseph Garrett, who posts videos about Minecraft under the pseudonym of Stampy Cat.

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Burns and van der Kuyl own Tayforth Properties, which is in the final stages of developing Dundee’s historic transit Shed 25 into business units for entrepreneurial companies. Tayforth is led by managing director Stewart Clark.

Speaking to an audience of 300 business leaders, politicians and neighbours, van der Kuyl said: “We currently have an office at City Quay which we really like. But Paddy and I decided we wanted something a little bit bigger, maybe a little bit cooler and even closer to the waterfront.”

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He added that the team wanted to attract “businesses with a real energy and appetite for innovation”. He added that the idea was to stimulate “contagious energy” to drive Dundee’s growth.

Garrett, who last visited Dundee in November 2015 to deliver the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Christmas lecture at the Caird Hall, said of the development: “It’s exciting. We’d heard tales of this building, but this is my first time seeing and getting an idea of what it’s going to end up like.”

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