V&A Dundee, Scotland’s first design museum, announced it will open to the public on Saturday, September 15, 2018.
It will be the only V&A museum in the world outside London.
Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, V&A Dundee stands at the centre of the £1 billion transformation of the Dundee waterfront.
V&A Dundee is being delivered by a founding partnership of the V&A, Dundee City Council, the University of Dundee, Abertay University and Scottish Enterprise.
“The new museum will feature permanent galleries of Scottish design, as well as an ambitious international programme of changing exhibitions showcasing the very best of design from around the world, new design commissions, fast-changing installations by emerging designers and creative projects developed through our learning programme for all our audiences,” said V&A Dundee.
“At the heart of V&A Dundee, the Scottish Design Galleries will tell the story of Scotland’s exceptional and international design heritage.
“Curated in collaboration with the V&A, these galleries will be free to enter and feature around 300 exhibits drawn from the remarkable collections of the V&A, as well as from museums and private collections across Scotland and the world, covering architecture, ceramics, engineering, fashion, furniture, healthcare, jewellery, textiles, videogame design and more.”
At the centre of these galleries will stand Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room, fully restored and preserved for future generations in a partnership with Glasgow Life.
The 13.5-metre-long panelled room was originally designed for Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street tearooms in Glasgow in 1907, before being saved – and placed in storage in hundreds of pieces – almost 50 years ago.
The opening exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed & Style, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and investment managers Baillie Gifford, will explore the designs behind a mode of transport that came to represent the status of nations.
Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “After many years of planning for V&A Dundee, we are absolutely thrilled to announce the date of the new museum’s opening.
“In just eight months we will be opening the doors and welcoming our first visitors.
“V&A Dundee is set to be a vital new cultural organisation for Dundee, the UK and beyond, helping to change understanding of just how important design and creativity are to people’s lives.
“We are enormously grateful to all our supporters for helping to make this happen.
“V&A Dundee brings something new to Scotland.
“It is the country’s first museum dedicated to design, which visitors will be able to experience and get involved with in very many ways.
“Particularly important is that the new museum enables major V&A exhibitions to be seen more widely by more people across the UK.
“So I am especially excited that part of V&A Dundee’s opening programme will be the breath-taking exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed & Style, the first of many ambitious exhibitions at V&A Dundee that will show how our lives have been – and always will be – shaped by design.”
Dundee City Council leader Councillor John Alexander said: “Our city is now receiving high-profile international attention and confirmation of the opening date for V&A Dundee will boost this further.
“This is an exciting day to look forward to for people in Dundee and visitors alike.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the huge team effort to construct the building, which is an amazing feat of engineering, and to curate such fascinating design displays.
“This date marks the opening of an exciting new chapter for our city, as we strive to provide new economic opportunities and make Dundee a better place for everyone.”