V&A Museum Dundee

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London is one of the most famous museums in the world. It houses the world's largest collection of decorative art and design from over two millennia. The extensive collections include exhibits from the fields of paintings, sculptures, architecture, ceramics, furniture, fashion, textiles, theatre, photography, glass, jewelry and metalwork.

In the eastern Scottish coastal city of Dundee, a second V&A museum was being built in close cooperation with the museum in London. It opened its doors to the public on September 15, 2018. As the flagship of Dundee’s waterfront development, the museum will act as a magnet for the city’s regeneration, attracting inward investment and tourism, and creating new jobs and opportunities.

V&A Dundee is the only V&A museum in the world outside of London. The new museum, with a total area of 8,000 m², will not only bring V&A exhibitions to Scotland, it will also develop its own exhibitions. On 1,650 m² gallery space the museum will feature in addition to approximately 300 exhibits from the V&A collection, exhibition pieces from museums and private collections of Scotland and around the world.
The internationally renowned architect Kengo Kuma, who is also designing the National Stadium for the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo, created the building at the center of Dundee’s historic riverside. He was inspired by the cliffs along the east coast of Scotland. Curved concrete walls made of pre-cast rough stone panels create the appearance of a Scottish cliff face.

“The big idea for V&A Dundee was bringing together nature and architecture, and to create a new living room for the city."  Kengo Kuma, architect of V&A Dundee

Behind the curved walls inside the building, a glittering elevator shaft attracts visitors' attention. Woven wire mesh from Haver & Boecker cover the glass elevator that connects the atrium to the next floor.

Versatility, robustness and exclusive optic make HAVER Architectural Mesh the ideal material for designing interior areas. The used cable mesh MULTI-BARRETTE 8130, with an open area of 46 %, gives the elevator cladding a modern appearance, which shines through with a special elegance. The woven cables give the mesh structure, while the rods reflect light over their entire surface. Depending on the viewing angle, the elevator cladding appears opaque or transparent.

HAVER Architectural Mesh is used to create individual elevator designs of the highest quality. A multitude of different mesh types and the possibility of coloring provide almost infinite freedom of individual design.

Stainless steel architectural meshes are non-flammable, extremely durable and offer timeless elegance. Especially in combination with other materials such as glass, wood or exposed concrete, metal mesh creates exciting material contrasts. Their play with light and shadow, gloss and transparency gives each interior design a distinctive character.


Photos ©Hufton+Crow