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Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Vacations In Glasgow
By Karl Fraser | October 23, 2009
One of the most thrilling cities in Scotland is Glasgow, the popularity of which, as a vacation destination has, over the last few decades, increased dramatically. The diversity of the huge list of visitor attractions makes the city suitable for a wide range of visitors and many arrive intent on taking in some of the stunning architecture, not least the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the famous Scottish designer and architect strongly associated with Art Nouveau.
Glasgow born (in 1868) Mackintosh worked as an apprentice to the architect John Hutchinson from the age of 16. In 1890 he took a tour of Italy, financed by the prize money he gained from winning the Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship. In 1893 he returned from Italy and began work on the Glasgow Herald Building which was his first large scale project.
In Glasgow you do not need to travel very far to find a Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece. His finest work can be seen in the building of the Glasgow School of Art. Many consider Hill House his second finest work and while this is in Helensburgh it is well worth the small amount of effort required to visit it. You may also wish to visit House for an Art Lover. Two other Mackintosh buildings are looked at below, Queens Cross Church and the Lighthouse.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is actually the Glasgow Herald Building mentioned above. It is Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and features an ever changing programme of superb exhibitions and events. The Mackintosh Centre is found here and where you will find a wealth of information on the life and works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. From the Mackintosh Tower it is possible to get the finest views across the city of Glasgow, to get there you need to go to the third floor and then climb a helical staircase but it is well worth the effort I assure you. However, if you do not fancy expending that sort of energy you could always take the lift to the viewing platform on the sixth floor instead.
Queens Cross Church
Glasgow’s Queens Cross Church, though no longer an active church, is famous for being the only church ever designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh that was completed. Many people know it as the Mackintosh church and it first came into use in 1899 and was decommissioned in the 1970’s. It is now open to the public and home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.
One could hardly visit Glasgow without taking the time to visit the incredible medieval Glasgow Cathedral. With the majority of stonework dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries it is the only surviving (the Scottish Reformation) complete example of a cathedral from this period in Scotland. Though the main work was not completed until the 15th century most of the work after this was restoration work except for the wonderful stained glass windows which are superb examples from the 20th century.
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