Kengo Kuma backs LEGO V&A Dundee campaign as it expands
- Andrew Batchelor
- Aug 11
- 2 min read
The architect behind V&A Dundee has thrown his support behind a campaign to transform the city’s iconic waterfront museum into an official LEGO set.
World-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has backed Dundee designer Brian McNicoll’s LEGO recreation of the museum as it continues its push towards the 10,000 supporters required to enter formal review by the LEGO Group.
No Scottish building has ever been turned into an official LEGO set, meaning the Dundee landmark could potentially make history if the campaign is successful.
Kuma, whose international work includes the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, said it was an “honour” to see his Dundee creation recreated in LEGO.
He said: “It’s an honour to see my building recreated in LEGO and I’m impressed with how well Brian has translated the design.
“The building design was inspired by the Scottish landscape and now the building is inspiring Scottish designers.”
Kuma said he had always wanted V&A Dundee to act as a gateway connecting the city with the wider world, reflecting Dundee’s historic global trading links along the River Tay.
He added: “If this design becomes an official LEGO set, then people all over the world will be building a Dundee landmark.”
Almost 3,000 people have already backed the project through LEGO Ideas, leaving it with around 7,000 additional supporters to find before reaching the crucial 10,000-vote milestone.
A number of famous faces have also supported the campaign, including Lorraine Kelly, Brian Cox, Edith Bowman and Danny Wallace.
McNicoll, founder of Dundee mobile and web studio 532 Design, recreated the distinctive museum using LEGO bricks, including the angular form and horizontal bands inspired by Scotland’s coastal cliffs.
V&A Dundee opened on the city’s waterfront in September 2018 and was Kuma’s first building in the UK.
Projects which reach 10,000 supporters through LEGO Ideas are considered by the LEGO Group’s design team for potential production as an official set.
Reaching that milestone does not guarantee the V&A Dundee model will be produced, but it would put the Dundee landmark before LEGO’s formal review process and potentially take a Scottish building into the range for the first time.
