Client: V&A Museum Dundee, Scotland

Challenge: Integrate energy-efficient natural lighting in the V&A Dundee museum’s ground-breaking design

Results: Daylighting incorporated throughout the building to enrich the building design 

Product: 60 Solatube Daylighting Systems and Daylight Dimmers

Solatube Distributor/Installer: Daylight Delivery Systems Ltd 

Architect: Kengo Kuma & Associates

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BACKGROUND: The spectacular Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in Dundee, Scotland was built in 2015 at Craig Harbour right on the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, reconnecting the city with its beautiful and historic riverside.

Inspired by the cliffs of Scotland’s north-eastern coastline, renowned award-winning Japanese architects Kengo Kuma & Associates' exquisite design translated the geographical uniqueness of V&A Dundee into the impressive 8,000m² building. Curving concrete walls (there are no straight external walls) hold 2,500 pre-cast rough stone panels, weighing up to 3000 kg each and spanning up to 4m wide, to create the appearance of an ‘artificial cliff.’

The first-ever dedicated design museum in Scotland and the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London, V&A Dundee provides a place of inspiration, discovery and learning through its mission to enrich lives through design.

CHALLENGE: V&A Dundee was keen to bring in as much natural light as possible into the building, as they felt daylight was key to the visitor experience.

One of the most significant challenges encountered with the V&A Dundee museum’s ground-breaking, cliff design was how to deliver natural light to the main lobby - a double-height space with uncommon angular wall areas and small horizontal slot-like windows partly screened by the precast panels.

In addition, the design required that the natural light delivered by the Solatube Daylighting Systems create the impression of “floating” between the roof and an open mesh layer below the roof.

SOLUTION: The design team used sixty Solatube Daylighting Systems to enrich V&A Dundee with quality daylight deep within the building and balance natural light with the artificial lighting in the central areas. The daylighting systems also allowed visitors to appreciate the changing weather conditions outside. 

To achieve the “floating” look, the 4m long reflective extension tubes used to pipe in the daylight were externally laminated in a specified shade of grey to match the underside of the roof structure, thus making the tubing virtually invisible, so the daylight appeared to come from “hovering” diffusers several meters below the roof.

Solatube Daylight Dimmers were also fitted to each Solatube system to allow for complete control of daylighting for different exhibitions and full integration with V&A Dundee’s artificial lighting system. 

RESULTS: “One of the spaces that has a big wow factor is the entrance lobby,” said Laura Phillips, Associate Director, Lighting ARUP.  “A series of Solatube Daylighting Systems allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of the natural light coming in from above.” 

“It’s one of the spaces where people will really be encouraged to spend time and to shop and enjoy the cafes while enjoying the quality daylighting from the Solatube systems,” added Phillips.

An international center of design, V&A Dundee now offers a welcoming and inspiring naturally lit space for everyone to visit, enjoy and socialize.