V&A Dundee public realm design

Challenge

V&A Dundee is a hugely significant project for Dundee, and has played a key role in promoting the city as a place of innovation and creativity. The design team and client worked closely to ensure the architecture and landscape combined to form a truly exceptional project that furthers the city’s global reputation and cements Dundee as a vibrant place to live, work and visit. This international profile was of particular relevance and importance to Dundee City Council (DCC) as client, alongside the successful integration of the project into the wider masterplan Central Waterfront Masterplan.

Solution

SLR’s Place team was selected as part of the successful team for V&A Dundee, developing public realm proposals for this prestigious project. Led by Kengo Kuma and Associates, the team was named as the number one choice in the international architectural competition undertaken in 2011. SLR's Place team has worked closely with the project team developing the initial competition proposals through detailed and technical stages and ultimately to delivery and handover on site.

A central concept for the project was to set the building in water as a reference to the infilled dock structures and to blur the boundary between land and water. The public realm was also to integrate with the wider Central Waterfront Masterplan, facilitating walking and cycling routes and providing a destination that draws people to the waterfront, provides spaces for events and emphasises connections between the city and the river. The high quality hard and soft landscape palettes offer a simple, robust landscape with a high level of attention to detail. 

Impact

V&A Dundee opened in September 2018 and has since attracted well over 500,000 visitors. It has garnered numerous awards and global accolades, including a special recognition for the public realm at the Landscape Institute Awards 2019.

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016.

Image copyright: Ste Murray