Sir, Graham Huband, in his otherwise fair article, “Simple truth behind huge increase in cost of V&A” in The Courier on January 21, said that the V&A team had his sympathy as “they didn’t choose the building they are tasked with constructing the public did”.
This is incorrect.
My wife and I visited the excellent design exhibition of the six short-listed designs at Abertay University Library in 2010 and gave our feedback.
Design Dundee Ltd selected these six designs.
The judging panel considered the responses of the public after around 13,000 questionnaires and comments were received from the people who visited the exhibition and viewed it online.
The most popular design selected by the public at the exhibition was the Rex Bluebell. The judging panel decided otherwise, selecting the Kengo Kuma design.
It is totally unfair to accuse the public of being responsible for the current situation.
The Design Dundee Ltd judging panel wholly decided the short listing and the final selection.
Stewart McKiddie. Beechwood, 5 Northview Terrace, Wormit.
Iconic building is needed
Sir, I refer to your front page headline and double page spread in Thursday 22 Jan copy.
Dundee’s long-term reconstruction of its waterfront, requires an iconic building as the diamond in the crown. The V&A development is that diamond.
When all the designs were put on public display for comments, I stated that whatever design was chosen it had to be iconic as not everyone may not want to view the exhibits inside but an iconic design would draw visitors to marvel at the building itself.
Yes, this building is going to be expensive, but it will be outstanding. This is something that the Sutherland Hussey design could not and would not deliver. Their design looks industrial and more like a nuclear power station. Is that what you would want as the centrepiece? What guarantee would we have had that it would have been brought in on budget.
Dundee is working hard to create a sea of change and re-invent itself and left to some architects it would be filled with slab-sided, faceless monoliths. I think we deserve better than that. The longer this is debated the costs will rise. We require action not political posturing, so let’s get digging and get this building under way.
On a final note, there should be a purge of architects’ offices and all the rulers ceremoniously broken as they only seem to be able to design buildings using one.
Stewart Dodd. 15 Harefield Avenue, Dundee.
Their reasoning is very odd
Sir, I am sorry your recent correspondents (Dr Wardrop and Mr Parke) feel obliged to shoot indeed to deride the messenger of an unwelcome message. I also find their reasoning odd. The fact that others do nothing to mitigate climate change (and in fact China is doing quite a lot) is no reason for us not to.
One might as well reason that since there are “2,300 coal plants worldwide” we can open a few more, too. In days gone by, men considered that because others kept slaves they were justified in doing likewise.
I would also point out that Friends of the Earth Tayside does not receive a grant nor does it offer paid employment. None of us (yes, I’m one of these odd folk too) feels qualified to contradict the findings of the vast majority of the scientists who spend their lives studying our world and ourclimate.
Personally I would love to save our planet, which I think is beautiful. Obviously I can’t, but there is nothing wrong with doing even the tiniest thing towards this end.
Don’t sneer.
Mary Henderson. 36 Luke Place, Broughty Ferry, Dundee.
Wrong to play down threat
Sir, In his letter of January 23 (“FoE Tayside simply ignoring the reality”) Dr Wardrop is right to highlight the lack of progress so far in reaching an international agreement to reduce carbon emissions.
He is wrong, however, to play down the threat of climate change, whether for the householders in Comrie and Montrose, farmers in Somerset, or millions of people in countries such as the Philippines and Australia. And polar bears too.
This is why it is so crucial that an agreement is reached in Paris at the end of this year, to reduce overall emissions and help less-developed countries to invest in renewable energy.
Dr Wardrop also rightly points out that China is producing record levels of carbon emissions from burning coal, but doesn’t seem aware that the Chinese Government recognises the serious impact this is having on people’s health and on the Chinese economy.
Far from “doing nothing”, China is the world’s biggest investor in renewable energy production which is now growing faster than its use of fossil fuels and nuclear power.
It can see the benefits this will bring for its economy, environment and security of energy supplies.
Andrew Llanwarne. Co-ordinator, Friends of the Earth, Tayside
Carol concert a great success
Sir, Tayside Christmas Carol Concert committee would like to thank all those who participated both choir members and audience at the carol concert held in the Caird Hall on December 11. The sum of £15,450 was raised and this will be forwarded to CLICSargent to help children with Cancer in Tayside and Fife.
Kay A S Simpson. Concert Organiser, 12 Smithy Road, Balmullo.