Waterfront Place, Dundee

The brief for Waterfront Place took an integrated approach to the design of the 7044sqm space, to include the following facilities: hardstanding for event use; a landscaped zone; an interactive play area centred on a life-sized whale sculpture; an urban beach and an Active Travel Hub. It is a major civic space that excites, encourages a range of active uses, and engages all who choose to explore the wider waterfront. The project delivers a key point of outdoor activity and interaction on the edge of the River Tay and incorporates a range of features, surfaces and opportunities for play and socialising. The space is designed to be distinctive, but also integrate with the formal layout of Slessor Gardens, and the public realm associated with the V&A Dundee.

Waterfront Place is a project that offers the opportunity to create a powerful space that is both dynamic and playful, that consciously addresses the River Tay and Dundee’s relationship to its maritime environment. The project is a physical example of high-quality design and placemaking, with a coherent concept of ‘a walk to the beach’ inspiring the proposal for the development. Planting types and landscape are combined to create this experience, moving through pine planted areas, through grassed mounds, over the urban beach and ultimately to the river edge. The urban beach helps to animate the waterfront offering an environment that is not currently available in Dundee and creates opportunities to reinforce the city’s connection with the River Tay by providing a setting within which to play, relax and enjoy views across the river.

The project promotes health and wellbeing by encouraging citizens to be outdoors and introduces a green space to an urban area, improving personal health and increasing levels of physical activity and social engagement. The active travel element of the project delivers a range of health focused initiatives in the city – promoting walking and cycling and utilising the local natural environment and community infrastructure to support this.

The project team of Holmes Miller Architects, Optimised Environments, Morgan Sindall Construction, and artist Lee Simmons worked collaboratively with Dundee City Council to deliver the project, with shared optimism that it will spur the ongoing renaissance of the city’s waterfront area, meaningfully promote active lifestyles and low carbon transport, while enhancing the experience for local people and visitors alike.