Monday 29 August 2011

Glasgow - House for Art Lovers

House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
For those who can remember my previous Glasgow post from November last year will know that there is a bit of rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh jostling for pre eminence !! I opted for this set here to re - dress the balance of the previous post with some more historical images taken three weeks after the Edinburgh set on 12th April 2010. In the next few posts I intend to show the much underrated qualities of Glasgow and that's not just because both of my parents and all their family originated from the western side of central Scotland ;-)

Gardens, House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
The House for Art Lovers is situated next to a Victorian walled garden in Bellahouston Park on the south west edge of the city. It was quite a walk from Ibrox tube station and needed a good street map.

Rockery, House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
The origins of this house are most unusual in that it was originally designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1901 with building work commencing in 1989 !!

Mackintosh's style, House for Art Lovers, Glasgow

Window Profile,   House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
A German magazine at the turn of the 20th century held a competition to design a house possibly with a modern twist.
The entry submitted by Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a little late and consequently incomplete by the deadline date and therefore disqualified. However the plans received a special recognition award but unfortunately were never acted upon.

Patio,   House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
In 1987 a civil engineer (Graham Roxburgh) and an architect (Andrew Macmillan) finally realised the dream to plan the project by choosing the site in Bellahouston Park. The building of the house commenced in 1989 and finally opened 1996 after the traumas of a financial recession when work on the building was stopped for a period of time.

"Pass the salt please" !!  House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
The plans of the house included the internal decor and furniture which his wife Margaret MacDonald assisted him with.

Stained Glass,  House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
The Main Entrance Hall although a little dark plays tricks with the eyes as small stained glass windows entice the visitor into the next room (A trait that was used often to confuse and stimulate students in The Glasgow School of Art).

Dining Room,  House for Art Lovers, Glasgow
On opening the music room doors, the Mackintosh style is to impress the visitor with the contrast of light from the large windows.

Fireplace design, House for Art Lovers, Glasgow

Fireplace design 2,   House for Art Lovers, Glasgow

Unusual early 20th century keyboard ,  House for Art Lovers, Glasgow


The Oval room which includes the shape of the window, cupboards and fireplace was designed for the After Dinner Ladies conversation.


Although mainly a visitor attraction, the building is also used for corporate events, piano concerts and weddings. The house is currently of a shortlist for the "Best Unusual Venue Award" in Scotland.

It was time for me to find my walking feet again and drag them back into the city centre ....

Foot Sculpture,   House for Art Lovers, Glasgow

18 comments:

  1. I don't know which one I find more interesting....the foot or those chairs.

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  2. A beautifully shot post of a truly great building. Glasgow is in my top three favourite cities. Thanks for rekindling some wonderful memories.

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  3. Thank you for this wonderful post, J_on_tour! This house is really wonderful. I am an admirer of Art Nouveau but till now I had no opportunity to see Mackintosh pieces. I love what I see!

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  4. some of the interior designs are really original! I like the glass colorful window especially

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  5. I do love this house - such an interesting design! The fireplace, stained glass, furniture - I love everything:)

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  6. That's a strange place, but I like it. Thanks for the look inside.

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  7. The last picture and the last sentence of your post made me smile. I needed that light closing, after viewing all that beautiful interior decor and furniture which have demanded my full serious attention to details.

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  8. To think it was designed in 1901, at that time it would have been so different to what was around, your right about the chairs, you can see where Ikea must have got some of their design from.
    Not to my taste, but its a good thing we don't all like the same.
    Thanks for your visits and comments, you are indeed right it is Beaumaris :)
    I was going to do a blog post from there but you might know the castle is not dog friendly, so Howard and George where quite happy to sit on the sea front outside the very large hotel, I've forgot the name of it!!!
    While I took the boat to Puffin Island.
    Have a good Week
    George and Jan x

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  9. That looks like a fascinating place to visit.

    I have never been to Glasgow despite knowing it has a lot to offer. I must remedy that.

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  10. Oh, I'd love to visit there! I've always admired Mackintosh's designs.

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  11. Genius!!! Art is really fun. Happy weekend, Jayz. :)

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  12. So many new things to learn with your detailed
    description!!
    Thank you for that, dear J.!!!!!

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  13. The place is wonderful and your pictures amazing!!

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  14. What a variety of "different" designs--all very interesting. The foot sculpture is quite a "piece of art"!! Nice post--as usual. Have a lovely weekend. Mickie :)

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  15. Someone, probably a giant kicked hard on that wall and ended up with his feet chopped! Beautiful shots, especially the 2nd pic and the brightly lit music room are my choice:)

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  16. Oh what a pleasure to see this art house! I love the art and craft style (in German Jugendstil) so much! These windows are absolute beautifull. Thank you for this post and have a nice week. Big hug from Luzia.

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  17. I'm an equal opportunity neglector. I've been so busy with company and canning that I've not been reading blogs for a while. Your oval room photo is absolutely stunning and belongs in a magazine! I realized, as I was looking at these beautiful photos, that I tend to think of Glasgow and Edinburgh as 'The North,' like I saw on road signs as we came into Yorkshire. I always thought that was so odd - as though anyplace beyond Leeds was nearly off the edge of the map. (I think it's how the folks on the east coast of the U.S. think of our midwest states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, etc.) Look how much Scotland is beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh! Do you have family reunions with cousins from the Glasgow area? How far is it from your place to theirs? Thanks for the photo tour. :-)

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  18. Indeed, this place is full of art works. Artists for sure's going to love this place. I'm going to make a plan and add this in my itinerary.


    _________
    Jean

    What I do: Loved handling any travel jobs | travel job as long I'm happy with what I'm doing. That's just how I make use of my time and as well as effort.

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