Dundee, Scotland
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Post By:Kitticoon Poopong
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--design proposal of 'V&A at dundee' by kengo kuma |
Kengo kuma's shortlisted design of the '
V&A at dundee' is a single volume composed
of two tapered and offset forms which aims to generate new relations between the
tay river
and the waterfront. given the very prominent site of the project, the proposal not only looks
at the building itself but a new addition of a network of public spaces to take advantage
of the harbour space. the result is a literal extension of the
public space onto the water and
a promenade that
meanders through and around the building. the creation of multiple
public plazas at the foot of the
museum not only serve as an outdoor exhibition/event space
for the institution, but reshapes the waterfront into a space for both locals and visitors to enjoy.
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--view of the museum from the union street axis |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--view from the waterfront |
Primarily driven by the conditions already on site, the overall shape and form of the museum negotiates the already strong and established axes of the waterfront: the city's access which runs along union street, and the axis created by the docked '
RSS discovery', the last wooden three-masted ship to be built in britain, now serving as one of dundee's main attraction. taking these two intersecting lines and rotating one onto the other, the directionality of the V&A encourages unexpected visual relations with the river and the city. moments along the public promenade which meanders under the belly of the museum are framed by the structure itself, providing certain views and perspectives of dundee and the tay.
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--bird's eye view of the public square |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--timber deck alongside the V&A |
Constructed out of layers of prefabricated concrete beams, the building lacks any hard edges when seen from a distance. the columns are assembled on site to achieve the gradually offset structure and clad in reconstituted stone from local materials. the resulting permeable shell allows for
natural ventilation as well as abundant daylighting. the actual structure itself is cut with glazing which changes the density of the volume, provides texture, and allows the museum to easily control the museum's microclimate.
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--digital wall and art installation in main entrance hall |
The main hall serves as an indoor public square with programs such as shops, cafe and restaurant. in order to avoid the perfection of the museum as a self-standing extraneous object on the river, the timer deck of the promenade and plaza is gradually translated to the interior and continued on the other side of the building.
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--main hall seen from the balcony on the first floor |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--(clockwise from top left) the signatur restaurant by the tay, cafe with panoramic terrace, public path framed by the museum, temporary exhibition in the main gallery |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--acessibility diagram |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--mass diagram |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--ground floor plan |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--first floor plan |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--east elevation |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--sectional view |
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| Image © Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates--physical model |
The people
Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Photographs: Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates
