I LIVED and worked in Dundee in the 1970s. I couldn’t wait to leave. At that time the city was not a great place to be.
Fortunately, having retained friends in the area I have revisited on a regular basis and in recent years was delighted to see the renaissance which was taking place.
The city was becoming unrecognisable from the 70s and I began to wonder why I was in such a hurry to leave. I could understand why Lonely Planet would described Dundee as one of the “must see” cities ("Dundee joins Europe's elite as one of the best places to visit in travel guide", The Herald, May 22).
I was thrilled when the announcement of Kengo Kuma’s V&A was made and have watched with excitement as this emblematic phoenix rose from the ashes of Dundee’s depressed waterfront.
However, whilst visiting our friends in Dundee at the weekend my excitement turned to dismay and indeed anger.
The magnificent new V&A building is nearing completion. In any other city, it would be complemented by wide open spaces, the aspects uninterrupted, all the better to appreciate what will surely become a world-famous structure on a par with the Guggenheim and the like.
However, what has Dundee City Council in its wisdom decided to do? It has given permission for a six-storey office block, greater in height than the museum itself, to be built yards away, thus obscuring the view over a 90-degree angle and greatly diminishing the ability to appreciate the building.
Our friends shared our anger as, I believe, many citizens of Dundee do also.
What is it about Scotland’s councillors and planners? Are we becoming experts at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? Can they not take lessons from the great European cities and let their great buildings “breathe”?
Instead of that it seems we insist on squeezing the life out of any great architectural project to wring the last pound of commercial gain.
I despair.
Wiliam Thomson,
25 Lithgow Place, Denny.
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