A leading Scottish architect, who was shortlisted for the V&A project, has called the shock rise in costs a “fiasco”.

And he has declared that Dundee City Council was “seduced by a sexy design” that was not in keeping with the design brief.

Speaking to the Tele, Charlie Sutherland also said it was clear from the very start that the winning design was going to cost “double” the budget originally allocated for the building, which was 45 million.

Commenting on the council’s undertaking that the 80m figure they have now given is a fixed price, Mr Sutherland said that, while they could guarantee the cost, they couldn’t guarantee the quality.

“It is no surprise to anyone who was involved in the competition process that the awarded design is double the original cost,” said Mr Sutherland, of Sutherland Hussey, one of the six architecture firms shortlisted at the V&A competition design stage. What a fiasco. When it was

announced that Japanese architect Kengo Kuma had been awarded the project, the rest of us were shocked.

“It was very clear to the rest of us that it would be impossible for that design to be brought to fruition within the budget allocated.

“Dundee City Council was clearly seduced by the proposal that did not fit the criteria for the design. They obviously just wanted something that was sexy.”

Mr Sutherland told the Tele that, way back at the beginning, he asked Dundee’s director of city development, Mike Galloway, what would happen if they submitted a design that would cost more than the 45m allocated for the building.

“Mike Galloway told me that any scheme submitted that was over the budget would be immediately thrown out,” said Mr Sutherland.

“He was very clear in his instructions that the design had to come within the 45m budget.

“Mr Sutherland said that he and the other architects shortlisted submitted their designs based on this. Yet, when we saw the model for the Kengo Kuma design, it was very obvious to us it could not be developed within the budget.”

Mr Sutherland’s claims are backed up by Professor Alan Dunlop, one of Scotland’s leading architects.

“It is a fiasco, but entirely predictable I am afraid,” said Prof Dunlop.

“From the start, it was obvious that the cost would rise.

“I have 25 years’ experience as an architect, and it was clear to me that what had been submitted would cost more than the allocated budget.

“The design that won could not be built for 150m, never mind 50m.”

Prof Dunlop said he felt very sorry for the other entrants, including Sutherland Hussey, who stuck to the remit given.

“The council went for the superstar Japanese architect,” he added.

Among others on the jury panel choosing the winning design were Mike Galloway and Graeme Hutton, deacon of the school of architecture at Dundee University.

Meantime, a spokesman for the Auditor General for Scotland confirmed that they had received a request from Dundee Lib Dem councillor Fraser Macpherson for an independent investigation into the spiralling costs.

Dundee City Council was asked to respond but have yet to do so.‘Welcoming space’The original design statement from Kengo Kuma:

“The museum itself, with its big and open public hall, will be part of the new system of public spaces, becoming a sort of covered public square where people can go and enjoy the warm feeling of this welcoming space, just for shopping at the museum store, or for going to dinner at the restaurant, or to have a drink at the cafe, as it happens in any successful vital public square.

“This creates a strong integration between outside and inside the museum, creating an offer which will be direct, not only to all the visitors the museum will attract from outside Dundee, but also to Dundee’s citizens, who will be able to appreciate the museum spaces as part of their city and be invited to live it as such.”