Glasgow Photo Library
- House for an Art Lover
Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1901, House for an Art Lover was not built until 90 years later. The origin of the design was an ideas competition for the design of a large country house where the art was to consist of the house itself. The drawings were published afterwards and it was these that prompted Glasgow architects to propose creating the building in the city at Bellahouston Park in the 1980s.
The Mackintosh design for a large country house has been modified to create an international graduate study and conference centre for the Glasgow School of Art. There is also a high quality cafe and design shop and displays of Mackintosh drawings.
The exterior of the building is faced in harling, a traditional Scottish material. Of course, Mackintosh's unique embellishments are clearly visible both on the exterior and the interior of the building. Nobody else could design a building such as this. Based on meticulous research, his ideas for fireplace, furniture, lights and decorative panels have all been incorporated into this impressive, "modern" building. The illustration above is of the "music room" in the house - that's a piano on the far wall.
See also Places to Visit - House for an Art Lover for more information and illustrations.
Go to the next Glasgow location: 
Hunterian Museum
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