By Bruce Robbins

ARCHITECT FRANK GEHRY, the man responsible for some of the most iconic buildings on the planet, has ruled himself out of the running to design Dundee’s new V&A museum, it was confirmed last night.

Mr Gehry, who designed the Maggie’s Centre in Dundee and is best known for Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, has decided that he has too much work on at the moment to contemplate taking part in the competition to design the £47 million museum on the Tay.

It is understood that, had he been commissioned, Dundee would have become the first city in Europe to boast two Gehry-designed buildings.

However, Fred Stephen of Glamis-based architects James F. Stephen, said he had received a text from Mr Gehry’s company effectively ending its interest in the job.

Mr Stephen’s practice would have acted as Mr Gehry’s associate architects and they have been in regular touch with his office since the project, for which The Courier is media partner, was first announced.

Mr Stephen said Mr Gehry, who will be 81 at the end of the month, was very keen on the V&A project but added, “I got a text message from one of their directors to say that they have so much work on their books they can’t resource a competition.

“Mr Gehry has been very busy working on projects all over the world, including some involving £250 million contracts.

“Unfortunately, they are definitely out of the running now. Frank called me up one evening at 10.30pm and said he would like to do the V&A museum but he didn’t think he would do it as a competition. The text message has confirmed that.

“He’s in the position where he can pick and choose his work and I suppose there was the chance that he might put a lot of work and resources into it and then lose out.

“My own feeling is that it’s a lost opportunity for Dundee. Frank would have had a pretty big input into the design of the museum.

“It won’t be too long before we know the calibre of architect that has entered the competition. I know the people behind the V&A are looking for a signature architect and it may yet end up going to a big name.”

Dundee University, Dundee City Council and the Victoria and Albert Museum make up the partners in the ambitious project.

A spokesman for the university, which is handling publicity for the group, said last night that, from its inception, the V&A museum was always going to be an architectural competition.

He added, “The first stage of the design competition has already attracted hundreds of entries from all over the world, including some very prestigious names.

“The interest has been intense and I am sure we will end up with a very exciting building.”

The 7000 square metre museum is set to be built on land next to Discovery Point, south-east of Craig Harbour, jutting out above the river on a promontory.

As well as creating 900 jobs and bringing more than 100,000 visitors to Dundee each year, the museum will transform Dundee’s skyline, being visible from the city centre, from its western approach and from the Tay road bridge.

The V&A steering panel will decide on a shortlist of five or six designs this month and will have chosen the winning design before the end of June.

It is anticipated that construction will get under way in 2012, with the museum opening to the public two years later.