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Waterfront Dundee play park to offer visitors a whale of a time

May 14 2020

Waterfront Dundee play park to offer visitors a whale of a time
Dundee City Council has selected British artist Lee Simmons to deliver an oceanic centrepiece for a planned public park at Waterfront Place following a design competition.
 
The waterside regeneration project will blend land and water by lifting a giant Humpback Whale sculpture on stilts around which people will be able to freely wander.
 
Designed to serve as a beacon for a new interactive play park the £134,750 'sculptural structure' will provide a unique space which alludes to the city's historical connection to the whaling industry.
 
Outlining the giant form of the ocean predator in tubular steel sections the sculpture will guide visitors from the head positioned at the northern entrance to Waterfront Place, toward a tail arching towards the Tay. This experience will be heightened by an underside 'interactive canvas' which can respond in real-time to the spatial movements of visitors in sound and light.
 
Commenting on the design Simmons wrote: “The natural form of a huge mammal created with modern materials in such an amazing setting is perfect for me because I love to bring together architecture, art and design and explore what blurring their boundaries looks and feels like.”
 
Detailed design and engineering work will now take place with a view to moving on-site once construction activity resumes.

4 Comments

The Bairn
#1 Posted by The Bairn on 14 May 2020 at 10:35 AM
Could be an interesting feature when built.
Mari Rob
#2 Posted by Mari Rob on 14 May 2020 at 14:02 PM
I live near Dundee and I love this. The Dundee waterfront already looks fantastic with Discovery, the V&A and the lovely promenade. This sculpture is the missing piece and is a beautiful finale! Can’t wait to see it!
Alex
#3 Posted by Alex on 14 May 2020 at 16:11 PM
This whale will be a superb focal point for Slessor Gardens and its structural quality will complement the adjacent V&A. I very much hope that future development to the west will have active uses which look onto and spill out into the open space - pubs, cafes, shops to serve visitors and local residents. I am curious about whether the landscaping plan will include planted areas which thrive in the exposed site next to the Firth of Tay. Plants could complement and contrast with this steel whale, with its reference to the city's history and its links to the natural world of the sea.
E=mc2
#4 Posted by E=mc2 on 14 May 2020 at 20:40 PM
Free Wullie !!!

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