Sustainable visions for Aberdeen set out at city exhibition

The new gallery collection will be on display for the next five years with updated visions, exhibited during this period.

Whether you’re Aberdeen born and bred, live, work or study here, or are passing through on a visit, exhibition curators hope to encourage as many people as possible to come and discover what gives the Granite City its grit and glint.

The exhibition is part of a wider ‘View of Aberdeen’ project being led by Aberdeen City Council to encourage people to reflect on their experiences of Aberdeen, what the city is like today, and what it could be like in the future. 

Each year students at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture are set a brief to create exciting places for people to work, live and play in Aberdeen and many of these projects will be showcased as part of the ‘View of Aberdeen’ exhibitions. At regular intervals, the View of Aberdeen exhibition will be updated with different views of the city and objects to tell diverse stories about it. 

The opening exhibition will include a film made by students from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture called ‘The Living Edge’, with visions from Master of Architecture students from 2020 to revitalise Aberdeen’s waterfront with a low-carbon beachfront and proposals to future-proof the city for the next 500 years including anticipated rising sea levels. The film showcases a 150 billion transformation of Aberdeen Waterfront, spanning 220 hectares from Donmouth to the harbour, with new sea defences to project the city, opportunities to bring new tourism to the city and places for leisure.

Principal Lecturer from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, Neil Lamb, said: “Aberdeen’s waterfront has large potential for development, but it is also a landmark and asset to the City of Aberdeen. This vast landscape hosts one of the oldest golf courses in the region but also one of the busiest roads at rush hour. It is home to the Ice Rink, the recently closed Beach Leisure Centre, the Ballroom and Aberdeen’s historical fairground, Codonas. A place where many Aberdonian’s have built cherished memories. What does the future hold for this area? 

“We are really excited to be taking part in the ‘View of Aberdeen’ exhibition and to showcase our visions for the city.  Each year students at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture design sustainable and well-considered structures and spaces that reflect society’s aspirations. We create exciting places for people to work, live and play in Aberdeen and it is fantastic that these visions will be shared in the ‘View of Aberdeen’ exhibition.

“Aberdeen has a lot to offer both visitors and residents and our city has huge potential. We need to celebrate our distinctiveness here in the North East, and to think bigger and smarter with a long term vision to enhance the city’s future. I’m looking forward to encouraging others to engage in the conversation to consider what the city means to them as part of the ‘View of Aberdeen’ exhibition.”

As part of the exhibition, curators Ross MacLennan, History Curator, and Madeline Nehring, have been talking to people across the city about what Aberdeen means to them and have curated artworks and objects that have inspired people.

It might be 'far ye bide' (where I live), or the place you’re 'chavvin awa' (working) in. It might be somewhere you have discovered going 'oot n aboot' (out and about), full of 'weel kent' things (well known).

A free ‘View of Aberdeen’ event will take place on 10 June with the exhibition curators to celebrate the ‘View of Aberdeen’ exhibition.

Main image from Aberdeen Art Gallery, 'View of Aberdeen' exhibition.