LONDON, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The branch of Victoria and Albert (V&A) museum has opened to public in Dundee, Scotland.
V&A Dundee, a 80-million-pound institution designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, has been unveiled on the banks of the river Tay as Scotland's first design museum.
At the heart of the museum, the Scottish Design Galleries feature 300 exhibits drawn from the V&A's rich collections of Scottish design, as well as from museums and private collections across Scotland and the world.
The V&A in London, established in 1852, is the world's leading museum of art and design. The opening of a major new V&A museum in Dundee is believed to give a major boost to the small city on the east coast of Scotland with a troubled history of industrial decline and social problems.
Dundee city councillor John Alexander said: "V&A Dundee is the perfect illustration of how the city is forging a new path and being transformed for every resident, worker and visitor. We are not a city which limits its ambitions and there is much more to come from our creative and dynamic city.
"We are predicting an economic boost in the city, estimated in the region of £11.6 million a year and the creation of 361 extra jobs across Scotland, 249 of which will be in Dundee. We also anticipate a significant number of other indirect benefits in terms of jobs and investment from new enterprise, business and increasing footfall in the city."
V&A Dundee's construction and fit-out took three and a half years to complete and it stands at the centre of the 1-billion-pound transformation of the Dundee waterfront, once part of the city's docklands.
Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: "The opening of V&A Dundee is a historic occasion for Dundee, for the V&A, and for the very many people who played a vital part and supported its realisation. This is a very proud moment for all involved. Its aspiration is to enrich lives, helping people to enjoy, be inspired by and find new opportunities through understanding the designed world. After years of planning, we are thrilled at being able to celebrate the realisation of the first V&A museum in the world outside London."
Kengo Kuma, architect of V&A Dundee, said: "The big idea for V&A Dundee was bringing together nature and architecture, to create a new living room for the city... I hope the museum can change the city and become its centre of gravity. I am delighted and proud that this is my first building in the UK and that people will visit it from around the world."
The new museum is free to enter.
