THE £45 million V&A in Dundee is to be Scotland's first museum of design showcasing classic Scottish creations from Charles Rennie Mackintosh to Jaguar, as well as modern day computer game and fashion designers.
It will feature a series of permanent exhibitions of both famous and overlooked Scottish designers, design classics and innovators, as well as shows from the V&A in London after its completion in 2016.
Philip Long, the director of the Kengo Kuma designed centre to be built on the city's waterfront, said the museum will also have access to the four million objects from the V&A for shows in Scotland.
Displays of Scottish design will include not only well known figures such as Mackintosh, but also focus on modern figures such as Ian Callum, current director of design for Jaguar, companies like Graven Images and Timorous Beasties in Glasgow, computer games like Grand Theft Auto, and succesful Scottish fashion designers such as Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Louise Gray.
It will also look at the 'hidden history' of Scottish design, such as the Scottish cabinet makers of 19th century America, or the motorcycle designer and founder of Harley Davidson, Arthur Davidson, whose father was Scottish, and innovative architect Basil Spence.
The museum is not aiming to have its own permanent collection, but will draw on loans from other museums, galleries and private collectors in Scotland and abroad, as well as the millions of objects in the V&A in London.
Mr Long said: "Gallery space will be given over to Scotland's extraordinary history of design innovation, and that is only represented in part in Scotland's existing museums and galleries. When you come to the V&A these galleries will be the cornerstone.
"Scotland's design heritage is an international story, but there is no one place you can find out about that in this country.
"It is a very important thing to do, especially at this moment where there is so much interest in Scotland reshaping its economy."
News of the contents of the V&A in Dundee come on the day when the city will hear whether it has been successful in its bid to become the UK City of Culture in 2017.
The Dundee bid, which is up against competing bids from Hull, Leicester and Swansea Bay, will discover this morning whether it has been given the title by the Department of Media, Culture and Sport in London.
Mr Long said: "If successful, we will be part of the opening celebrations.
"I haven't seen the detail of the other bids, but I think Dundee has got a very good chance and that's because can you look at the ambition in the city at the moment, the investment in culture, the sense of community there is in getting things done together.
"At the heart of the bid is this fantastic new cultural development: V&A in Dundee.
"I feel optimistic and it would be fantastic if we win, but like any competition, you might not and that would be disappointing, but 2017 would be a pretty special year here anyway."
Mr Long, who will have a staff of 30 said the project was currently on budget, and by the time construction begins next year, £35m of the £45m budget will be in place, with fundraising from private sources ongoing.
He added that, although it expects to attract 500,000 people in its first year of opening, a target of attracting between 250,000 and 320,000 visitors a year is being planned.
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