A week before going to review the new McManus in Dundee, a contentious survey from hotel chain Travelodge said the town was the third most unenticing tourist destination in the UK: 72 per cent of respondents declared it “unexciting”, with bad weather.
So, crossing the dramatic Tay Bridge on a bright March day, I wondered what was in store for me.
The newly restored building, now renamed the McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum, stands in a traffic-free square; £11.8m worth of restored gothic architecture with a new entrance facing the commercial heart of the city.
It draws you into a clean bright space with a reception area and shop to the left and cafe to the right. The front-of-house staff are charming. I pick up a free guide and I’m ready to go.
Before we start, let’s follow the money. Nearly £12m is a big bill, and the bulk of it went on the building. The McManus, built as the Albert Institute in 1867, sat on marshland and, despite underpinning work in the 1980s, was sinking.
The original George Gilbert Scott building had two additional extensions and by 2001 the structure was effectively breaking its back.
Dundee City Council applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund and secured £5m against a projected cost of £7.8m. Given the complex nature of the work, costs rose, but the shortfall was met by the council and energetic fundraising led by John Stewart-Young, arts and heritage manager at the city council.
The fact that the council continued to support the project through three departmental restructures and a change of administration is a credit to members and officers. It must have helped that local people voted it Dundee’s favourite building in 2004.
The remodelled McManus, designed by PagePark is a successful solution to a difficult problem. Given the nature of the building there is no completely logical circulation route, which was a challenge to the exhibition designers. Overall, there is a light and respectful touch given to the galleries.
The most obvious new feature is an elliptical stair wrapped around a lift, giving access to the art galleries and the lavatories. It claims to be sculptural, but it’s actually just a bit dull. Thankfully David Batchelor’s commission, Waldella, Dundee, brightens things up considerably.
The cafe and shop, created by exhibition designer Campbell & Co, work well. The floor surface is contiguous with the public realm outside and there will be al fresco tables for the summer.
The cafe is well designed in a modern/1950s style with green Eames chairs (such a nice change from the usual Arne Jacobsen rip-offs) and the food is good, too. By lunchtime it was full.
Engaging
Now, let’s see where the remaining £2m went... the galleries. I started with an excellent five-minute audiovisual introduction. It then seemed logical to move to a gallery that asked: “What is a museum?”
This small space, with cases facing through to the cafe, is a primer in museum work and summarises what we do as collecting, recording, caring and sharing. It’s a good idea and genuinely engages visitors.
The first large gallery is Landscapes and Lives, which tells the natural history, pre-history and history of Dundee up to 1850. I was not sure what it was at first as the introductory panel was placed behind me on the wall and my eyes were drawn to some splendid large mammals on top of the display cases.
Why do designers still do this? I want a simple introduction that tells me what I am about to receive and where to start.
Silvery Tay
Against my instincts, I turned right and followed the story of the Tay region from 400 million years ago, moving chronologically through to the human settlement and the eventual establishment of Dundee as a royal burgh in 1191.
Themed, cased displays chart the town’s growth into the 19th century. These two galleries integrate the collections well and the overall feel is elegant if a little restrained. The displays effectively illustrate the richness of the collections, from log boats and Pictish carving to Dundee silver.
Staying downstairs, I moved into the Making of Modern Dundee, which takes up the story from 1850. Here, the introduction faces you and explains that the gallery has three man themes; Urban Life, Working Life, and Living in the City.
It is packed with cased displays featuring sub-themes covering local industries, culture, sport and politics. Using artefacts alongside images, interactives and oral history works well and they are supported by informative texts.
Given that most city museums have similar material, there has been a real attempt to tell a local story. It covers the trinity of jam, jute and journalism as well as the whaling industry. The displays also bring things up to date with electronics giant NCR, US multinational Timex and jeans manufacturer Levi Strauss.
All of these firms closed factories in Dundee during the past 20 years, with Timex being a particularly bitter dispute. The gallery gives a real overview of the city, but the design does not differentiate the three main themes well enough for visitors.
Upstairs is dedicated to the art galleries and Dundee and the World, which is housed in the vast Albert Hall. Using what we used to call ethnographic collections, the gallery explains why so much of this cultural plunder ended up here. It’s that mixture of imperialism, warfare, missionary zeal and mercantile exchange.
This is an intelligent, thoughtful approach and succeeds both physically and intellectually. The tall cases are set in a vast space and face inwards to avoid daylight from the stained glass. Around the outside is a graphic display about two local women journalists who travelled the world in 1894. The walls feature European oil paintings.
Dundee revived
The Victoria Gallery gives a chronological sweep of Scottish painting from 1750 to 1920. Its curved walls have been painted a bright red and double hung in the Victorian manner.
This is supported by interactives providing additional information. These have been incorporated into modern seating units that are at odds with the 19th-century feel of the gallery. Mixing old and new is fine, but the units are grey and heavy handed.
The white cube spaces for the modern and contemporary art work well and should prove flexible. The current Consider the Lilies show (until 25 July) highlights the excellence of Dundee’s 20th-century collection and the adjoining gallery displays its commitment to collecting contemporary work by the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans and Callum Innes.
Notwithstanding a few pieces of clumsy design, this project has not only saved the building, but allowed it to be revisioned in an imaginative way, telling local and international stories through high-quality collections. It’s lively and it’s very busy. So, ignore the Travelodge survey.
With Verdant Works, RRS Discovery, HMS Unicorn, Dundee Contemporary Arts and the plan for a new gallery backed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, there are many reasons to go to Dundee. And the weather was fine.
Mark Suggitt is a museum consultant
Cost £11.8m
Main funders Dundee City Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, European Regional Development Fund
Grants Lethendy Trust, PF Charitable Trust, Wolfson Foundation, Sir Hugh Fraser Trust, RJ Larg Family Trust
Exhibition design Campbell & Co
Architects PagePark
Heritage consultant ABL Cultural Consulting
Main building contractor Muirfield
Shopfitting Elmwoods Shopfitters
Cases Conservation by Design/Rothstein
Lighting Terkan
Graphics B & S
So, crossing the dramatic Tay Bridge on a bright March day, I wondered what was in store for me.
The newly restored building, now renamed the McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum, stands in a traffic-free square; £11.8m worth of restored gothic architecture with a new entrance facing the commercial heart of the city.
It draws you into a clean bright space with a reception area and shop to the left and cafe to the right. The front-of-house staff are charming. I pick up a free guide and I’m ready to go.
Before we start, let’s follow the money. Nearly £12m is a big bill, and the bulk of it went on the building. The McManus, built as the Albert Institute in 1867, sat on marshland and, despite underpinning work in the 1980s, was sinking.
The original George Gilbert Scott building had two additional extensions and by 2001 the structure was effectively breaking its back.
Dundee City Council applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund and secured £5m against a projected cost of £7.8m. Given the complex nature of the work, costs rose, but the shortfall was met by the council and energetic fundraising led by John Stewart-Young, arts and heritage manager at the city council.
The fact that the council continued to support the project through three departmental restructures and a change of administration is a credit to members and officers. It must have helped that local people voted it Dundee’s favourite building in 2004.
The remodelled McManus, designed by PagePark is a successful solution to a difficult problem. Given the nature of the building there is no completely logical circulation route, which was a challenge to the exhibition designers. Overall, there is a light and respectful touch given to the galleries.
The most obvious new feature is an elliptical stair wrapped around a lift, giving access to the art galleries and the lavatories. It claims to be sculptural, but it’s actually just a bit dull. Thankfully David Batchelor’s commission, Waldella, Dundee, brightens things up considerably.
The cafe and shop, created by exhibition designer Campbell & Co, work well. The floor surface is contiguous with the public realm outside and there will be al fresco tables for the summer.
The cafe is well designed in a modern/1950s style with green Eames chairs (such a nice change from the usual Arne Jacobsen rip-offs) and the food is good, too. By lunchtime it was full.
Engaging
Now, let’s see where the remaining £2m went... the galleries. I started with an excellent five-minute audiovisual introduction. It then seemed logical to move to a gallery that asked: “What is a museum?”
This small space, with cases facing through to the cafe, is a primer in museum work and summarises what we do as collecting, recording, caring and sharing. It’s a good idea and genuinely engages visitors.
The first large gallery is Landscapes and Lives, which tells the natural history, pre-history and history of Dundee up to 1850. I was not sure what it was at first as the introductory panel was placed behind me on the wall and my eyes were drawn to some splendid large mammals on top of the display cases.
Why do designers still do this? I want a simple introduction that tells me what I am about to receive and where to start.
Silvery Tay
Against my instincts, I turned right and followed the story of the Tay region from 400 million years ago, moving chronologically through to the human settlement and the eventual establishment of Dundee as a royal burgh in 1191.
Themed, cased displays chart the town’s growth into the 19th century. These two galleries integrate the collections well and the overall feel is elegant if a little restrained. The displays effectively illustrate the richness of the collections, from log boats and Pictish carving to Dundee silver.
Staying downstairs, I moved into the Making of Modern Dundee, which takes up the story from 1850. Here, the introduction faces you and explains that the gallery has three man themes; Urban Life, Working Life, and Living in the City.
It is packed with cased displays featuring sub-themes covering local industries, culture, sport and politics. Using artefacts alongside images, interactives and oral history works well and they are supported by informative texts.
Given that most city museums have similar material, there has been a real attempt to tell a local story. It covers the trinity of jam, jute and journalism as well as the whaling industry. The displays also bring things up to date with electronics giant NCR, US multinational Timex and jeans manufacturer Levi Strauss.
All of these firms closed factories in Dundee during the past 20 years, with Timex being a particularly bitter dispute. The gallery gives a real overview of the city, but the design does not differentiate the three main themes well enough for visitors.
Upstairs is dedicated to the art galleries and Dundee and the World, which is housed in the vast Albert Hall. Using what we used to call ethnographic collections, the gallery explains why so much of this cultural plunder ended up here. It’s that mixture of imperialism, warfare, missionary zeal and mercantile exchange.
This is an intelligent, thoughtful approach and succeeds both physically and intellectually. The tall cases are set in a vast space and face inwards to avoid daylight from the stained glass. Around the outside is a graphic display about two local women journalists who travelled the world in 1894. The walls feature European oil paintings.
Dundee revived
The Victoria Gallery gives a chronological sweep of Scottish painting from 1750 to 1920. Its curved walls have been painted a bright red and double hung in the Victorian manner.
This is supported by interactives providing additional information. These have been incorporated into modern seating units that are at odds with the 19th-century feel of the gallery. Mixing old and new is fine, but the units are grey and heavy handed.
The white cube spaces for the modern and contemporary art work well and should prove flexible. The current Consider the Lilies show (until 25 July) highlights the excellence of Dundee’s 20th-century collection and the adjoining gallery displays its commitment to collecting contemporary work by the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans and Callum Innes.
Notwithstanding a few pieces of clumsy design, this project has not only saved the building, but allowed it to be revisioned in an imaginative way, telling local and international stories through high-quality collections. It’s lively and it’s very busy. So, ignore the Travelodge survey.
With Verdant Works, RRS Discovery, HMS Unicorn, Dundee Contemporary Arts and the plan for a new gallery backed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, there are many reasons to go to Dundee. And the weather was fine.
Mark Suggitt is a museum consultant
Project data
Cost £11.8m
Main funders Dundee City Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, European Regional Development Fund
Grants Lethendy Trust, PF Charitable Trust, Wolfson Foundation, Sir Hugh Fraser Trust, RJ Larg Family Trust
Exhibition design Campbell & Co
Architects PagePark
Heritage consultant ABL Cultural Consulting
Main building contractor Muirfield
Shopfitting Elmwoods Shopfitters
Cases Conservation by Design/Rothstein
Lighting Terkan
Graphics B & S
