The V&A Dundee, in collaboration with Rapid Visual Media, have released drone footage and imagery ahead of the building’s opening, marking Kengo Kuma’s first UK project. The footage showcases the new museum jutting out into Dundee’s River Tay, inspired by the cliffs of Scotland.
The museum is formed of 2,500 pre-cast concrete panels hung from complex curving walls, casting shadows which vary depending on weather conditions. As well as being Kuma’s first UK building, the V&A Dundee is also the first dedicated design museum in Scotland.
Having been selected to design the museum in November 2010, Kengo Kuma & Associates set about creating a project which would be a “living room for the city” where everyone would feel welcome.
The scheme’s exterior is defined by a jagged façade and wooden decking. Because none of the exterior walls of the building are straight, each panel was designed in advance in a 3D model, then meticulously cast in molds using a formula of stone aggregate, cement, and reinforcement mesh. Each panel is paired with a corresponding bracket in the channels of the wall, all of which were carefully mapped out prior to construction beginning.
Inside, a large, welcoming public hall will serve as a lively and flexible public square that can accommodate a variety of uses, such as concerts, art workshops, installations, large-scale exhibitions and art pieces, and more. Large exhibition galleries, a ‘Design In Action’ center, museum shop, cafe, and restaurant are just a few programs that this public space will lead to, attracting international visitors and everyday citizens to this world-class center of the arts and design.
In 2015, we reported that the museum’s £45million budget had been exceeded by 70%, in spite of extensive design alterations to rein in soaring costs. Dundee Council attributed the spending to “the highly complex nature of the building’s structure [...], the unprecedented levels of construction inflation [and] the unexpectedly low level of market interest from main contractors which reflected the risk levels associated with such a complicated and unique project.”
The museum is set to open on Saturday 15th September. You can check out our previous coverage of the museum here.
News via: V&A Dundee
