A Dundee community councillor has called for the V&A design competition to be re-run because of significant changes to the original brief.
West End chairman Andrew McBride said the stunning project by Kengo Kuma was chosen from an international field of architects who had to follow cost and timescale guidelines. It also had to meet site conditions for the building to capitalise on the prominent waterfront setting.
Mr McBride said: ”The original design brief for the V&A made it absolutely clear the plan should deliver a landmark building within budget and the masterplan must be adhered to. The original design brief was mandatory for all completion entries and competitors were asked to prove their ability to adhere to construction costs.
”The brief goes into great detail to emphasise either landfill or piling or a combination of both with a projected spend of several million pounds for this work, and one assumes this is to allow the building to take up a prominent section of the river within the indicated site boundary.”
He believed the change of brief for the V&A demanded an investigation.
However, the V&A Dundee project insisted there are no substantive changes to the design and only the proposed position of the building has altered.
Last week the £45 million project’s backers proposed it should no longer be built largely on a platform extending into the Tay to ensure it can be delivered on budget and on time.
Instead it should be slid back on the site of the present Olympia Centre with only a small prow extending over the river.
A spokesman for V&A at Dundee said: ”We have not been contacted by Mr McBride to discuss his views but would be happy to do so. Engagement with the people of Dundee has always been an absolute priority for the project.
”An amended planning application will be required for the proposed change to the site and, as part of the consultation around that, we will be happy to listen to all views.
”We continue to work with the design team on developing the project and are confident we will deliver a building which is in keeping with Kengo Kuma’s original proposal, still in a very prominent site, with a very strong relationship with the river and at the heart of Dundee’s redeveloped waterfront.
”We would once again stress that, other than the shift in site, this proposal does not involve any substantive changes to Kengo Kuma’s design.”