An extravagant display of Scottish creativity will be held in Dundee to mark the finale of the nationwide Festival of Architecture, it has been announced.
A wooden map of Scotland incorporating virtual reality technology is one of the highlights of the Dundee Festival of Architecture – a 2016 showcase, which will be held to coincide with the Light Night celebrations.
Revealing the plans exclusively to The Courier, festival director Karen Cunningham said the city was the obvious choice of location given its ongoing redevelopment and regeneration.
Karen said: “The finale is happening in Dundee and the city’s response to hosting the finale of the Festival of Architecture, part of the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016, has been amazing.
“The fact that there is so much happening in Dundee, and the fact all the redevelopment and regeneration, particularly at the waterfront, has been driven by or around architecture, makes it the ideal venue for us to have this celebration of this incredible year.
“We wanted it to be not just a party with the lights on the streets of Dundee, although that is absolutely at the centre, but real content and stories.”
The large display will include the Prospect North exhibition, a map which uses augmented reality to show 15 different stories of communities around the country using architecture and design to change their local area.
The showcase has been coordinated by several organisations, including the Royal Insitute of Architects, and their local Dundee Institute of Architects (DIA) group, Dundee City Council and Art and Design Scotland.
Other attractions from the DIA will also feature, including a crazy golf course and community unity display, celebrating community-focused projects.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the free event, which brings together the highlights of the year-long festival.
The exhibition opens in the West Ward Works on November 19, the day after the Light Night celebrations. It remains open between noon and 7pm every day until November 27.
The city also has two buildings in the running to be voted the best Scottish building of the last 100 years in the Scotstyle competition, with the winner announced during the weekend’s festivities.
Voting is still open online and through postcards distributed round the city, with the Dundee Rep and Dundee Contemporary Arts being the local options.
Meanwhile, further details about the Light Night in Dundee’s city centre have been revealed.
Slessor Gardens will host a Christmas market, and a pavilion designed by V&A Dundee architect Kengo Kuma telling the city’s story.
A torchlit procession will use replicas of Scottish buildings to light the way, in addition to the usual activities in City Square.
Jennifer Caswell, team leader of Dundee One City Many Discoveries, which organises the annual event, due to be held on 18 November, said it would be the biggest yet.
“There’s lots and lots going on,” she said.
“We are expecting 30,000 people – normally we get over 20,000 but we are expecting people to come from other regions because of the festival.”
