kengo kuma-designed V&A dundee building takes shape in scotland

V&A dundee has released drone footage of scotland’s first design museum, which is currently taking shape on the banks of the river tay. conceived by architect kengo kuma as a ‘living room’ for the city, the completed building will cantilever above the river, reconnecting dundee with its waterfront. the new video shows cast stone panels — each weighing between 1.5 and 2.5 tonnes — being positioned in place. in total, 2,466 panels will clad the museum’s angled walls.

the museum is currently under construction on the banks of the river tay
image and video by rapid visual media

with a total cost of just over £80 million, V&A dundee is kengo kuma’s first british building, and will host touring exhibitions from the V&A in purpose-built galleries. as none of the building’s walls are straight, the process of making and installing the stone panels has had to be meticulously planned. 3D modeling has been used to design the shape of each panel in advance before being cast in molds.

the cofferdam will be removed later this year
image by rapid visual media

panels have first been fitted to the riverside wall, so that work can begin on removing the watertight cofferdam later this year. the panels are lifted onto two specially designed brackets, which hold the cladding in place, using a fork lift and are secured by engineers stationed on hydraulic platforms. with construction work entering its final stages, V&A dundee is on track to open to the public in 2018.

the completed building will cantilever above the river
image by rapid visual media

‘it is fantastic to see V&A dundee take shape and a joy to watch as these panels transform the curved walls of the museum into the exciting form kengo kuma envisaged,’ says philip long, director of V&A dundee. ‘the hard work, skill and dedication of those involved in the build is remarkable and is producing something very special on the banks of the river tay. as the building enters the final stages of construction excitement is growing as we look ahead to opening scotland’s first design museum next year.’

each stone panel weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 tonnes
image by rapid visual media

‘V&A dundee is an impressive feat of engineering and installing thousands of stone panels is the next stage of this ambitious build,’ adds mike galloway, executive director of city development at dundee city council. ‘nothing like this has ever been constructed in scotland before. in fact, I can’t think of another building anywhere in the world similar to this. because the museum is so unique the team of constructors, designers and engineers have had to use the latest technology to realize the architect’s vision.’

see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

in total, 2,466 panels will wrap the museum’s angled walls
image by rapid visual media