Councillors have was given formal planning permission for the £45m V&A at Dundee.
The waterfront museum is being designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and will extend out into the Tay from a site just east of Discovery Point.
The museum will be the focal point of the central waterfront regeneration and is expected to attract 500,000 visitors in its first year.
Cllr Ken Guild, Dundee City Council leader, said: "We're scheduled to open in 2015 but this now means that all the forward planning and their finance bids can move forward more rapidly. In order to clear the site we first have to remove the old Olympia, now that will happen once the new Olympia in Alan Street is complete and that is due in the Spring of next year."
The Hilton Hotel and neighbouring casino will also need to come down to make way for the V&A.
The council say commercial negotiations are ongoing and they are confident they will reach a conlusion soon.
