V&A Dundee has won a top award from a prestigious architecture journal.
The £80 million museum, designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, was named Best New Public Building in the Wallpaper architecture awards.
The judges said: “The highly sculptural V&A Dundee is Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s first UK building – and Scotland’s first dedicated design museum.
“The ragged cliffs of north eastern Scotland inspired the composition’s distinct shape, clad in some 2,500 sheets of layered horizontal cast stone panelling.
“Yet the concrete structure appears light, bearing an abstracted resemblance to the prow of a moored ship. Kuma wanted this building to welcome visitors with a strong design gesture. ”
Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: “We are delighted to win this prestigious global award, recognising V&A Dundee as the Best New Public Building.
“Wallpaper is one of the world’s most highly respected design magazines and everyone at V&A Dundee is thrilled to have won, especially when we were shortlisted against such incredible international projects as the Apple Park Visitor Centre in California.
“V&A Dundee has already welcomed over 360,000 visitors, and we are all looking forward to an exciting year with exhibitions on video games and the future of robots.”
As well as the Apple Park Visitor Centre, other shortlisted public buildings included the Qatar National Library and The Guardian Art Centre in Beijing.
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: “This is a tremendous accolade. Over 300,000 people have visited the museum and our city is at the centre of international attention. I am delighted at this award as it recognises the quality of design and ambition at the heart of this building.”
