V&A Dundee to showcase at London Design Festival
21 September 2015
V&A Museum of Design Dundee will launch a new display as part of the 2015 London Design Festival at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Friday 18 September.
First staged in 2003, the London Design Festival is one of the world's most important annual design events. The Festival programme is made up of over 400 events and exhibitions staged by hundreds of partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, a partner with the London Design Festival and host of one of the main hubs is running its biggest ever programme of events this year.
V&A Dundee’s new display, “Architecture Now: V&A Museum of Design Dundee” incorporates newly commissioned film and visualisations allowing visitors to experience and explore the developing Dundee waterfront and interior of V&A Dundee. Part of the V&A + RIBA Architecture Partnership it will remain on display at the V&A Architecture Gallery until Spring 2016.
The new virtual tour created by Edinburgh-based Luma3Di, will allow viewers to sweep in to the new museum from the River Tay, through the main hall and up to the first floor to see the public spaces, learning suite and restaurant, revealing new interior detail for the first time.
An accompanying film featuring V&A Dundee Director Philip Long completes the display. Including new footage from the museum’s construction site, the film explores Dundee’s industrious heritage, ongoing 30-year waterfront redevelopment plan and recent status as a designated UNESCO City of Design.
Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to communicate with a new audience, many of whom may not have visited Dundee before. We believe V&A Dundee will be one of the must-see buildings of 21st century Europe. It will bring together outstanding design materials from the V&A’s world-renowned collections with loans from across Scotland, as well as showcasing extraordinary design exhibitions from the V&A.
“Architecture Now: V&A Museum of Design Dundee allows us to generate widespread awareness and discussion about Scotland’s first dedicated design museum in advance of our opening, and gives audiences an exciting preview of what’s to come in 2018.“
Dundee City Council administration leader Councillor Ken Guild said:
“The major investment in V&A Dundee will bring real benefits for the city and I am looking forward to seeing Kengo Kuma’s breathtaking vision become reality beside the River Tay.
“Dundee’s profile is already benefiting from our association with the V&A. This can already be seen with the award of UNESCO City of Design status which reflects our growing international reputation.
“The aspirational V&A Dundee project is designed to provide the city and Scotland with a world-class museum which will help to provide jobs and wider economic benefits.”
Creative Dundee will also be representing the city as part of Digital Design Weekend at the V&A on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September. The digital exhibit will include a Dundee City GIF Wall and videos contributed by the people of Dundee.
Architecture Now at the V&A is a changing display in partnership with RIBA, showcasing the innovative and the inspirational in architecture today – how changing needs, conditions and technologies contribute to and shape the development of the built environment around us.
