Dundee Civic Trust is delighted to have Brian Cox, CBE, as its Patron. Brian is an Emmy-Award winning Scottish actor who was born in Dundee. He is well known for his numerous Hollywood roles including The Bourne Identity, Adaptation and Churchill.
Of his involvement with the Trust, Brian says:
‘How delighted I am to be the Patron of Dundee Civic Trust. The work of the Trust is crucial in ensuring that change is for the better and that mistakes made in the past, which have seen so much of the City’s unique architectural heritage replaced by mediocre development, are not repeated.
‘As a young man, I did wonder whether there was a plot to demolish all the truly remarkable buildings which were significant to Dundee’s history. I would have loved to have seen the restoration of the Royal Arch or, for that matter, General Monck’s HQ which was demolished to make way for the first Overgate development.
‘But now Dundee is truly the city of many facets, a UNESCO City of Design as well as a City of Discovery. It is also a City of Contrasts. Impressive new development at the Waterfront, linking the city centre to the river as part of an ongoing process of renewal, sits around the corner from traditional Dundee closes, a hidden aspect of the town dating from mediaeval times.
‘At present the City has the perfect opportunity to combine the best of modern architecture with buildings dating back as far as the 14th Century. New buildings such as V&A Dundee, Dundee Contemporary Arts and the Maggie’s Centre, together with major regeneration projects such as Gardyne’s Land and the High Mill at Verdant Works are helping to restore Dundee’s architectural heritage.
‘I am truly impressed by my City’s incredible ability to re-invent itself on a continuous basis, but this must be done to a high standard of design and construction. To encourage this, all those interested in the future and the past of Dundee must work together. I would urge anyone with an interest in the development of the City to become a member of Dundee Civic Trust and join the campaign for a better Dundee.’