Miniature artist recreates iconic Dundee building linked to Grand Theft Auto developers
- Andrew Batchelor
- Jun 7
- 2 min read
A miniature artist whose work recently made national headlines for recreating a fire-damaged Glasgow landmark has turned her attention to one of Dundee’s most recognisable buildings.
Karen Bones, founder of Bricks and Bones Scotland, has unveiled a detailed miniature recreation of the colourful former DMA Design offices on Perth Road - a building closely associated with the Dundee studio that would later become Rockstar North and create the global Grand Theft Auto franchise.
Karen shared the piece after a visit back to Dundee, describing the city as her “old haunt” despite having not lived there since her college days. She revealed that she had been invited by The Creative Tank to display some of her work and decided the trip provided the perfect opportunity to tackle a Dundee landmark that had been on her to-do list for some time.
The striking model captures the building’s distinctive bright pink walls and blue detailing, features that have made it one of the most photographed and recognisable buildings on Perth Road. Today, the property is occupied by Wee Mexico, but for many Dundonians it remains closely associated with DMA Design, the pioneering video game company founded in Dundee in 1987.
DMA Design played a pivotal role in putting Dundee on the global gaming map. The studio created the original Lemmings before later developing Grand Theft Auto, one of the most successful and influential video game franchises ever created. The company was eventually acquired and evolved into Rockstar North, the studio behind the modern GTA series.
Karen’s latest creation follows widespread attention for her recreation of Glasgow’s Union Corner building, which was destroyed in a major fire. The miniature artist spent weeks recreating the landmark in remarkable detail, earning coverage from BBC Scotland and widespread praise online.
Now, her Dundee-inspired model is attracting attention of its own, celebrating not only an iconic Perth Road building but also a location that played a small part in the story of one of Scotland’s greatest creative success stories.
