Just northwest of Glasgow in Helensburgh, you’ll find the Macintosh masterpiece, Hill House. Commissioned by Walter Blackie of Blackie and Son Publishers at the urging of his art director, the family home was completed in 1903. The client requested that the architect not use traditional materials like bricks or a tile roof. At the peak of his capabilities, Mackintosh embraced the challenge and designed every square inch to create a unique house unlike anything else at the time.
Mackintosh designed the architecture as well as the intricate interior, custom furnishings and other artistic details. A walk through the house treats the visitor to an astonishing display of his design ideas for lighting, cabinetry, furniture and fabrics. Natural plant forms and abstract geometry are incorporated in the dark wood, white walls and soft colors. The asymmetrical plan is in stark contrast to the classical style of the day. Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh designed some of the furnishings in the house including the Sleeping Princess gesso panel above the fireplace as well as these silk embroidered panels known as the “skinny ladies” beside one of the beds. The husband and wife worked so closely together that it’s difficult to distinguish the work of one or the other.
Located at 8 Upper Coloquhoun Street, the Hill House is about a mile from the Helensburgh train station or a 45 minute drive from central Glasgow. Open for self-guided tours, the house was donated to the National Trust for Scotland in 1982.
Over many, many years the house has been damaged by water infiltration and has had a difficult time drying out. So much so, that the National Trust is considering enclosing the house in a glass structure so that it can dry out slowly without crumbling to pieces.
There are a few places to eat in the town of Helensburgh nearby, but if you want to extend your stay try the Hill House Tea Room in the space that was originally the kitchen in the Hill House. They have tasty soup, salads and sandwiches as well as tea.
Enjoy your visit to the Hill House.
Here is a link to the website for infomation about tours:
www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/t...
4 авг 2018
