Tree placed on top of V&A Museum of Design to mark construction milestone

Site foreman Sean McGee and local school pupils (left to right) Dominic Nelson, Sarah McGillivary, Jak Adams and Fiona Okeke celebrating as a crane driver positions a Douglas Fir tree at the highest point of the building during the topping-out ceremony for the V&A Museum of Design Dundee. (Alan Richardson/PA Wire) NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

ANOTHER milestone has been marked in the construction of Dundee’s V&A museum.

A topping out ceremony took place on Wednesday with a fir tree lifted by crane and placed temporarily on the highest point of the building.

Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the £80 million V&A Museum of Design is on schedule to open to the public next year.

More than 100 workers are involved in the construction of the museum, which will include galleries, learning spaces and a restaurant.

Pupils from Our Lady’s and Rosebank primary schools visited the waterfront site for the topping out ceremony.

Council leader Ken Guild said: “This is a significant and exciting development in the construction of this fantastic building, which has already made an impact on the skyline of the city beside the River Tay.

Site foreman Sean McGee holding a radio as local school pupils (left to right) Sarah McGillivary, Jak Adams, Dominic Nelson and Fiona Okeke direct a crane driver to position a Douglas Fir tree at the highest point of the building during the topping-out ceremony for the V&A Museum of Design Dundee. (Alan Richardson/PA Wire)

“The aspirational V&A Dundee project is designed to provide the city and Scotland with a world-class museum, which will help to provide jobs and wider economic benefits.

“We are seeing something truly unique coming to fruition and I am delighted that Dundee young people are here to witness a very special moment in this project.”

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Today’s topping out ceremony marks an important achievement for V&A Dundee, and a key milestone towards achieving Dundee’s ambitions for the city as well as Scottish culture and tourism.

“The Scottish Government has been a long-time supporter of the project, recognising the significant economic contribution that this signature building can bring to the regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront, giving the city and Scotland a world-class design museum and visitor attraction.”

Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: “The completion of the museum’s incredible walls marks a major step in this project, and one which would not have been possible without the vision of our architect, the construction expertise of BAM and Arup’s remarkable structural engineering solutions.

“As is fitting for an international centre of design, the building itself is a stunning piece of design. We’re delighted that our galleries, exhibitions and learning activities will have such an inspiring home.”