Glasgow Design
by Stuart MacDonald, former director of The Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane
As the former director of The Lighthouse, Scotland’s National Centre for Architecture and Design, Stuart MacDonald is a recognised voice on the subject and is involved in the promotion of Scotland's architecture policy. Previously Stuart worked for Glasgow 1999: UK City of Architecture and Design and Glasgow's 1996 International Design Festival. A founding member of the Scottish Architecture Education Trust, Stuart is also Vice-Chair of the Worldwide Rennie Mackintosh society.
Design in Glasgow is, literally, in your face. Walk into a bar or café in the city centre, Merchant City, West End or South Side and you are likely to be surrounded by the fruits of one of Glasgow’s band of talented architects and designers.
Nothing demonstrates this better than The Lighthouse – Scotland’s national design centre. The original building was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and was converted by architects Page and Park, who also designed the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Sauchiehall Street, the stylish Italian Centre in the Merchant City as well as cutting-edge housing in the Gorbals, on the city’s south side. With interiors by renowned designers Sam Booth, Gareth Hoskins, and Graven Images, it is a veritable Mecca of design.
The Lighthouse showcases contemporary local and international design supervised by leading design curators Leonie Bell and Lucy McEachan. Its shop Form, also displays the work of locals like jeweller Laura Murray, textile designer Fiona Mackintosh, handbags by Jan Milne, glass by Richard Welsh and hats by Holly O’Hara. Soba, the noodle bar on the ground floor of the Lighthouse has an interior, which was designed by One Foot Taller’s Katty Barac and wall coverings by Timorous Beasties, whose work you can also see in another nearby bar, Strata.
All of these designers took part in the Scottish Show, The Lighthouse’s exhibition at this year’s Milan Fair, which will also feature in 100 percent Design in London, and can be seen in Glasgow next February. The Lighthouse is also home to Bell Graphics, whose posters and flyers can be seen across Glasgow, and Digital Animation Group, the originators of Orange’s Ananova.
Just like Mackintosh’s Art Nouveau tearooms, today’s café-bar equivalents act as mini-museums for Glasgow design. In the city centre Zoo architects’ Bier Halle, Nord’s Salty Dog in the swanky Princes Square and the fabulous Collage cocktail bar by Graven Images in Murray Dunlop’s strikingly designed Radisson hotel on Argyll Street epitomise Glasgow’s creative buzz.
Also not to be missed in the interior of Fopp record store on Union Street, which was designed by Chris Stewart Architects. The Merchant City, Glasgow’s regenerated mercantile quarter, has been signposted by indigenous practice Graven Images and is also home to some of the city’s best talent in the form of Zoo Architects, Chris Stewart Architects and McKeowan Alexander.
Design in Glasgow is, literally, in your face. Walk into a bar or café in the city centre, Merchant City, West End or South Side and you are likely to be surrounded by the fruits of one of Glasgow’s band of talented architects and designers.
Nothing demonstrates this better than The Lighthouse – Scotland’s national design centre. The original building was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and was converted by architects Page and Park, who also designed the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Sauchiehall Street, the stylish Italian Centre in the Merchant City as well as cutting-edge housing in the Gorbals, on the city’s south side. With interiors by renowned designers Sam Booth, Gareth Hoskins, and Graven Images, it is a veritable Mecca of design.
The Lighthouse showcases contemporary local and international design supervised by leading design curators Leonie Bell and Lucy McEachan. Its shop Form, also displays the work of locals like jeweller Laura Murray, textile designer Fiona Mackintosh, handbags by Jan Milne, glass by Richard Welsh and hats by Holly O’Hara. Soba, the noodle bar on the ground floor of the Lighthouse has an interior, which was designed by One Foot Taller’s Katty Barac and wall coverings by Timorous Beasties, whose work you can also see in another nearby bar, Strata.
All of these designers took part in the Scottish Show, The Lighthouse’s exhibition at this year’s Milan Fair, which will also feature in 100 percent Design in London, and can be seen in Glasgow next February. The Lighthouse is also home to Bell Graphics, whose posters and flyers can be seen across Glasgow, and Digital Animation Group, the originators of Orange’s Ananova.
Just like Mackintosh’s Art Nouveau tearooms, today’s café-bar equivalents act as mini-museums for Glasgow design. In the city centre Zoo architects’ Bier Halle, Nord’s Salty Dog in the swanky Princes Square and the fabulous Collage cocktail bar by Graven Images in Murray Dunlop’s strikingly designed Radisson hotel on Argyll Street epitomise Glasgow’s creative buzz.
Also not to be missed in the interior of Fopp record store on Union Street, which was designed by Chris Stewart Architects. The Merchant City, Glasgow’s regenerated mercantile quarter, has been signposted by indigenous practice Graven Images and is also home to some of the city’s best talent in the form of Zoo Architects, Chris Stewart Architects and McKeowan Alexander.
The Merchant City also boasts splendid housing and the Brunswick Hotel by Elder and Cannon, whose new Icon apartment block recently opened on the Clyde, and the regenerated Tron Theatre complex by RMJM.
Another landmark not to be missed is Rotten Row Garden adjacent to the University of Strathclyde by internationally renowned architects Gross Max. Further east is prize-winning architecture by McKeowan/Alexander in the form of Graham Square, which also has work by Richard Murphy and Page and Park.
In the city’s West End, the design talent is nurtured by Glasgow School of Art – a Mackintosh masterpiece. And it lives cheek-by-jowl with another landmark building, Alexander “Greek” Thomson’s rehabilitated Grecian Chambers, which is now the Centre for Contemporary Arts by Page and Park.
Glasgow city centre also boasts a number of designer bars – NORD’s Stavka, Zoo Architect’s Lowdown in Bath Street, Aim Architects’ Tom Tom in Bath Street and Dene Happell’s interior at St Jude’s restaurant on Bath Street.
Follow the designer trail into the city’s salubrious West End where, in the shadow of Gilbert Scott’s neo-gothic university, you can find Graven Image’s contemporary Tinder Box café, new live music venue Oran Mor – a converted church on Great Western Road, which showcases the work of Timorous Beasties - and Page and Parks’ Maggie Centre.
The West End of Glasgow is also home to numerous design consultancies that are building a reputation as talent to watch. They include Blue Peach, Locofoco, Timorous Beasties, Glasvegas and many others. In nearby Partick is Gareth Hoskins Architects’ Community Health Centre, which is also currently working on the V&A’s architecture gallery.
The South Side of the city houses Europe’s largest performance art space, Tramway. Recently refurbished by Zoo Architects, the Tramway hosts some of the most cutting- edge events in Glasgow, including performances during the Triptych music festival.
It is also home to the hugely popular Hidden Gardens by City Design Cooperative. Next to the Tramway is a modernist private housing development styled by Cooper Cromar, which is also involved in the £500 million Glasgow Harbour development to regenerate the Clyde waterfront. BDP’s stunning Science Centre can also be found in the city’s south side, and close by, there is one of the biggest housing regeneration projects in Scotland, Crown Street as well as award-winning buildings by Page and Park and Elder and Cannon.
www.thelighthouse.co.uk
Another landmark not to be missed is Rotten Row Garden adjacent to the University of Strathclyde by internationally renowned architects Gross Max. Further east is prize-winning architecture by McKeowan/Alexander in the form of Graham Square, which also has work by Richard Murphy and Page and Park.
In the city’s West End, the design talent is nurtured by Glasgow School of Art – a Mackintosh masterpiece. And it lives cheek-by-jowl with another landmark building, Alexander “Greek” Thomson’s rehabilitated Grecian Chambers, which is now the Centre for Contemporary Arts by Page and Park.
Glasgow city centre also boasts a number of designer bars – NORD’s Stavka, Zoo Architect’s Lowdown in Bath Street, Aim Architects’ Tom Tom in Bath Street and Dene Happell’s interior at St Jude’s restaurant on Bath Street.
Follow the designer trail into the city’s salubrious West End where, in the shadow of Gilbert Scott’s neo-gothic university, you can find Graven Image’s contemporary Tinder Box café, new live music venue Oran Mor – a converted church on Great Western Road, which showcases the work of Timorous Beasties - and Page and Parks’ Maggie Centre.
The West End of Glasgow is also home to numerous design consultancies that are building a reputation as talent to watch. They include Blue Peach, Locofoco, Timorous Beasties, Glasvegas and many others. In nearby Partick is Gareth Hoskins Architects’ Community Health Centre, which is also currently working on the V&A’s architecture gallery.
The South Side of the city houses Europe’s largest performance art space, Tramway. Recently refurbished by Zoo Architects, the Tramway hosts some of the most cutting- edge events in Glasgow, including performances during the Triptych music festival.
It is also home to the hugely popular Hidden Gardens by City Design Cooperative. Next to the Tramway is a modernist private housing development styled by Cooper Cromar, which is also involved in the £500 million Glasgow Harbour development to regenerate the Clyde waterfront. BDP’s stunning Science Centre can also be found in the city’s south side, and close by, there is one of the biggest housing regeneration projects in Scotland, Crown Street as well as award-winning buildings by Page and Park and Elder and Cannon.
www.thelighthouse.co.uk