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Dundee scales new heights with ‘Sydney Opera House’ vision

Dundee scales new heights with ‘Sydney Opera House’ vision

December 13 2018

Invertay Homes have revealed plans to take Dundee to new heights with plans to build the tallest building in Scotland on the city’s waterfront.

The Discovery heights vision takes the form of a 39-storey tower housing the city’s first five-star hotel alongside a 2,800 space conference centre, rooftop skybar, serviced apartments, offices, a visitor centre and retail.

Edward Wighton, director of operations, said: “Our next step is to move towards a formal planning application and in order to do that we need to carry out various investigations of the site itself from an engineering perspective and make sure the conceptual building can be made a reality.

“We will then move towards detailed design in terms of the architecture.”

The complex is being marketed as the ‘Sydney Opera House of Scotland’ and would rise to an impressive 141m (462ft), dwarfing Kengo Kuma’s recently completed V&A Museum.

Investors are now being sought to back the ambitious vision.

19 Comments

#1 Posted by EmagdniM on 13 Dec 2018 at 15:29 PM

Good. It's nice to see some hardened ambition in this area, no matter how 'off the wall'. I hope this will help to combat the ceaslessly self-conscious and apologetic nature of schemes emerging from this area. So what if it's mental? Well done Invertay Homes.
Lets watch the usual oh-so-witty and manic depressive UR comments roll in though....

#2 Posted by TepidMouse on 13 Dec 2018 at 15:36 PM

Didn’t realise it was April Fools Day. That said, the waterfront could stand a tallish building as a focal point. Zero chance of getting anything like that, the costs will be enormous and it’s still far too risky for a city such as Dundee. A small conference centre and some apartments will do fairly well but nothing of that size is required. Dundee needs jobs, many many more jobs before it can sustain this kind of development.

#3 Posted by EmagdniM on 13 Dec 2018 at 15:50 PM

As if on cue....

#4 Posted by town planner on 13 Dec 2018 at 16:19 PM

Go for it Dundee! Exactly the sort of thing I've been hoping to see for years. Had assumed it might be along the Leith waterfront, on the Clyde, or in an appropriate part of Glasgow's grid lay-out...But maybe Dundee will get there first, and hopefully inspire Scotland's other cities to show a bit more ambition too.

#5 Posted by Sue Pearman on 13 Dec 2018 at 16:37 PM

Jumped right back to 80's Hong Kong with this one! Hopefully not a serious proposal.

#6 Posted by alibi on 13 Dec 2018 at 19:52 PM

It might be possible go high on the waterfront, but if so, that building will define the skyline, the waterfront, and frankly the entire city. Huge stakes, got to get something which reflects the place and earns that right. This doesn't do that - its anywhere architecture.

#7 Posted by Islands of sanity on 13 Dec 2018 at 21:29 PM

The public waited years for Tayside House to be demolished. We need Desperate Dan to put the wellie into this now.

#8 Posted by mick on 13 Dec 2018 at 21:46 PM

Now all you Dundeephiles before salivating with excitment first check out the company website and of course the beta.companieshouse.co.uk.

#9 Posted by Rick on 14 Dec 2018 at 09:23 AM

Interesting... #7 every tall building = Tayside house? Nope, have you been to England? It is quite normal for architecutre to have a bit of height these days, particularly on waterfront developments. Now, back to drawing up furniture layouts.

#10 Posted by Hilloch on 14 Dec 2018 at 10:49 AM

Who is the architect?

Let's be honest, this is absolutely not a nice looking building. It is a bit of a mess. Further, this is a considerable number of miles away from Sydney Opera House levels of design and flagship potential, heck that gong belongs to the V&A!

There is however plenty opportunity for height here, and it would stand that a hotel will do nicely in this area given the Hilton's prior occupancy there.

#11 Posted by Oh my... on 14 Dec 2018 at 12:43 PM

I think I just vomited on the screen...

..on no, that is actually what the proposal is meant to look like.

#12 Posted by Philip on 14 Dec 2018 at 17:47 PM

Height- yep, great all for it. This big shiny 80’s downtown Dallas skyscraper is utter sh1te though...... and really quite embarrassing.

#13 Posted by RM Kartoffel on 14 Dec 2018 at 19:16 PM

Love it - why cant glasgow get something like this instead of the god awful proposals for the site next to the riverside museum

#14 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 17 Dec 2018 at 15:17 PM

I wouldn't get excited. This will never be built.

#15 Posted by Gordon Gibb on 17 Dec 2018 at 15:58 PM

This generic curtain wall sales brochure picture is just like Sydney Opera House in the way that barbed wire is like segments of an orange. Ironic also that in the CGI nonsense the boat sails are filled, SOH-like and yet there is no wind. Maybe it's the hot air that's filling them.

#16 Posted by modernish on 19 Dec 2018 at 16:17 PM

Wow...and not in a good way.

#17 Posted by Jonathan on 20 Dec 2018 at 09:45 AM

Architecture doesn't always have to blend into its surroundings and has the ability to be a catalyst (with reference to the V&A and what that is assisting to do with the regeneration of the waterfront).

There have been some fabulous buildings around the world that don't attempt whatsoever to match their neighbours, but obviously there is a time and place for respecting that (conservation areas, or as part of a historic 'streetscape')

This is an interesting one and whilst I think this is purely a concept it may be a catalyst for something to happen (in its current form or something else).

Design will ALWAYS provoke debate about its suitability and thankfully we have a planning department in place to make the difficult decisions! Thankfully they are a little more educated that 'some' of the comments that appear on these pages from behind the monitor critiques.

What it does show is ambition, and a bold city with grand ideas! I love living in Dundee. Exciting times.