The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate walked to the gates of the V&A, where they were greeted by its director, Philip Long
Dundee’s Victoria & Albert (V&A), Scotland’s first museum dedicated to design , has made this small town a cultural landmark since its opening to the public in September and today attracted even more stares as it was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. , William and Kate .
The dukes came on foot to the doors of the V&A, where they were received by its director, Philip Long, and once inside the enclosure they met its creator, the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
After touring the majestic 8,000-square-meter building, Kate , who last year became a member of the V&A board of trustees – the first time someone from the royal family is – gave a short speech with which it was officially inaugurated.
The Duke and Duchess of Strathearn, the title by which the prince and his wife are known in Scotland, got a close-up view of the Oak Room, an oak tea room designed by Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and gazed at one of the dresses, creation from designer Christopher Kane for his fall / winter 2015 collection.
At the second headquarters of the prestigious London gallery, they met members of the V&A Youth Collective, which organizes activities for the gallery, and of the Amina organization, which encourages women to go on sightseeing tours for ethnic minorities in order to improve their job options.
They also attended a performance by a metal quintet that performed the play "Maiden Voyage" by the young Aberdeenshire composer Lliam Paterson, and discovered a commemorative plaque in the museum lobby.
At the exit, the royal couple approached to shake hands and chat with the dozens of people who gathered at the doors of the building, located on the banks of the River Tay.
The crowd greeted Hannah, Ben and Rebecca, ages five, eight and eleven, who, dressed in their Dundee High School uniforms and accompanied by two of their teachers, weathered the cold for a long time to hand them three ducks. rubber band dedicated to the couple’s three children: Jorge, Carlota and Luis.
While Guillermo wore a dark coat and a patterned scarf, Catalina opted for a piece of tartan print in blue and green by the British Alexander McQueen.
Following their stint at the V&A, Elizabeth II’s grandson and his wife met with a group of Michelin workers, as the company announced in November that the Dundee plant, which employs 845 people, will stop production in mid-September. 2020.
Since its opening to the public in September 2018, the innovative museum center has established itself as a landmark in the history of design, exhibiting more than three hundred pieces from all over the world.
Of this V&A stands out its spectacular design, composed of a structure of curved concrete walls and 2,500 prefabricated stone panels that simulate the shape of Scottish cliffs, and its location next to the RRS Discovery, a three-masted wooden ship, built in 1901 to explore Antarctica.
After hosting the exhibition "Ocean Liners: Speed and Style", on the golden age of transatlantic travel, which can be visited until the end of February, the program for 2019 will be dedicated, from April, to video games, robots and the future of design with the exhibition "Videogames: Design / Play / Disrupt".
Since its opening to the public, the gallery has received more than 380,000 visitors, who have come to Dundee to see this temple dedicated to the history of art.
With 150,000 inhabitants, Dundee is an enclave with a long tradition dedicated to design, scientific research and the creation of comics and video games, which is why in 2014 it was named by UNESCO as the design capital of the United Kingdom.
The V&A, which is estimated to cost around £ 80 million (about € 90 million), is part of the vast Dundee marina refurbishment project to bring a fresh look to the area that formerly housed the shipyards and docks.