Dundee’s Guggenheim halfway to hitting £45 million funding target

AMBITIOUS plans to build an iconic outpost of the world-famous Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum on Dundee’s waterfront have received a “significant” boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The new international museum, celebrating the best in Scottish design, has been earmarked for up to £9.2 million in funding.

The landmark scheme has already been promised £18m in financial support from the Scottish Government and, should the HLF funding package finally be approved, it would take the project more than half way past its £45m funding target.

Philip Long, director of the V&A at Dundee, said that the lottery fund’s decision to award the project a “first round pass” of £9.2m in potential funding marked a significant step forward for the prestigious development.

He said: “There is great competition for HLF funding and I know the round in which Dundee was considered was a particularly tough one, so we are very proud of this HLF endorsement.

“Scotland’s design heritage is centuries old, full of inspirational stories of talent, innovation and enterprise. Our designers have shaped our country, and have contributed creatively around the world.

“The development of V&A at Dundee is an outstanding opportunity to help us understand and celebrate this remarkable heritage and, from it, take inspiration for the future.”

Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland, said: “The V&A at Dundee will harness this incredible heritage and present it to the world as a celebration of Scottish talent. Housed in a stunning building, which itself reflects cutting-edge design, it has the potential to be a ‘must-see’ destination, attracting visitors and design professionals from across the globe.”

Preparatory work has already begun on the striking building, designed by award-winning Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, which is scheduled for completion in 2014. The V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee, a partnership between the V&A, Dundee City Council, the universities of Dundee and Abertay, and Scottish Enterprise. The consortium believes the futuristic structure will have the same impact on Dundee as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum had on Bilbao, a Spanish industrial city which has become a cultural focal point.

An HLF spokeswoman said: “With visitor numbers expected to reach 500,000 in the first year, the V&A at Dundee will further boost Scotland’s tourist industry. For its size, Scotland has had a disproportionate impact on the history of design.

“From architecture and urban design, through science, engineering and medicine, to publishing and fashion, Scottish designers and innovators have … influenced design around the world.”