V & A Construction Begins In Dundee

Construction work has begun on the new £80 million V&A museum in Dundee. The museum's Japanese architect Kengo Kuma visited the site for a ground-breaking ceremony today along with Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and representatives of V&A Dundee, Dundee City Council and BAM Construction. It emerged in January that the cost of building the design museum has risen by more than £30 million. The main building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017 and the museum is expected to open to the public by June 2018. Mr Kuma said: "It's always a great pleasure to visit Scotland, a country I love very much. "When I first arrived for the competition site visit in 2010, Dundee was a very different place. Already you can see the connection between the beautiful waterfront setting, the environment and the city is so much stronger. "We are delighted that our vision for the V&A Dundee building, which was originally inspired by the breath-taking natural setting, is now starting to take physical shape, creating a real sense of place. "We look forward to forging even closer links between the people and cultures of Japan and Scotland over the coming years as we create our first British building.'' The project is set to transform the city's waterfront area as part of a £1 billion regeneration scheme. Phillip Long, director of the V&A Museum of Design Dundee, said: "This is a special day - a historic moment for Dundee. "We are beginning the construction of a new building that, through its design, already helps symbolise this city's new confidence. As the building develops, day-by-day it will demonstrate Dundee's growing ambition in a very real and physical way. "We believe this is a project that has the potential to reshape our national landscape and be of benefit to all of us. "We would like to thank everyone who has helped us reach this momentous day and we hope to keep all of our supporters and champions involved and inspired a long way into the future.'' The Culture Secretary said the new museum would be a boost for Dundee and Scotland. She said: "Hundreds of thousands of visitors from far and wide will come to V&A Dundee to enjoy its world-class exhibitions. "The benefits are much larger than the £11.4 million boost to the economy, V&A Dundee will showcase Scotland's renowned design heritage, the talent of our nation and stimulate innovation to drive our economy forward.'' Dundee City Council announced the official deal with BAM Construction for the construction of the museum last month.