Waterfront Place Tender

Published

21st January 2021

ALMOST £2m worth of work on the centrepiece of one of Dundee Waterfront’s key spaces could be agreed next week.

A £1.7m contract for Morgan Sindall to manufacturer and install a stainless-steel whale sculpture, associated foundations, hard landscaping and interactive play park at Waterfront Place will come before the city development committee on Monday (January 25).

Mark Flynn committee convener said: “The quality of the work at Waterfront Place is critical to ensuring that visitors and local people feel like they are not just in one of the city’s prime spots, but in one of the best locations in Scotland..

“It is also vital that the sculpture is durable and able to withstand the marine environment at the waterfront, while also being low maintenance.

“The size, scale and unique complexity of the whale sculpture has meant that limited suppliers are capable of manufacturing it despite engaging with a local fabricator.

“Local sub-contractors have been working at the site and our partnership arrangement for the Active Travel Hub is also with a local community interest company.”

The humpback whale, designed by award-winning British artist Lee Simmons, will be the centrepiece of the space created in a size and scale that complements its surroundings, while accommodating both convincing aesthetic values and visual strength.

Formed in tubular sections that follow the contours of the creature, the structure will flow from the northern entrance of Waterfront Place with the tail arching towards the Tay to capture a sense of movement.

Visitors to the park will also enjoy a multi-sensory experience using both sound and light with stainless steel tubular like maze structures representing kelp-like forests or water columns.

Work on the site has been delayed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions, however it is expected to be completed later this year.

Dundee City Council

Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.

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