The UK Culture Secretary praised progress on Dundee’s waterfront development during a visit to the city’s new V&A museum.
Karen Bradley, who was joined on the tour by V&A Dundee Director Philip Long, described the waterfront regeneration as “truly transformational” and added that the new museum will raise the profile of the city.
Opening in 2018, V&A Dundee will be the first museum in Scotland dedicated to design and the first building in the UK designed by Kengo Kuma, the internationally renowned architect who is also designing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium.
Ms Bradley said: “It has been fantastic to see how this inspirational project is developing.
“V&A Museum of Design Dundee will be a great asset for the city — telling Scotland’s unique story from the 1400s to the present day — and raising the profile of Dundee in the UK and abroad.
“Cultural investment can have an enormous impact on towns and cities — it drives tourism, boosts the local economy, creates jobs and makes people feel good.
“Dundee clearly understands this and the city’s £1 billion waterfront regeneration will be truly transformational.
“I can’t wait to see the finished museum when it opens next year.”
The museum will present the largely untold story of Scotland’s design achievements, bringing together in one place the world-renowned V&A collections with loans from other collections in Scotland and beyond.
The £80.11 million project is at the heart of Dundee’s ambitious £1 billion waterfront regeneration.
V&A Dundee Director Philip Long said: “It is really wonderful to see the museum take shape and the progress being made.
“Cultural investment can have a transformational impact and I believe the waterfront regeneration we are part of will have a hugely positive effect on Dundee and the surrounding area.”
V&A Dundee has been established in close partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, accessing its collections, curatorial expertise and exhibitions.
It is run independently with its own director and, as well as bringing V&A exhibitions to Scotland, it will develop its own exhibitions.
