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World-Class Heritage … Or Simply A Load Of Old Tosh?

Is Charles Rennie Mackintosh the genius he's made out to be?

Love him or loathe him, get set for a Charles Rennie Mackintosh explosion, says George Rosie. ANYONE who thought (or perhaps hoped) that the cult of Charles Rennie Mackintosh was fading is in for a rude awakening. The man that many see as Scotland’s greatest architect and others as an overrated, fancy-Dan interior designer is making a big comeback. The actor John Cairney is coming out of exile with his wife Alannah O’Sullivan to play Charles and Margaret Mackintosh in a new production at the House For An Art Lover. The Hunterian Art Gallery is staging an exhibition of forgotten Mackintosh masterpiece, the house at 78 Derngate, Northampton. And the curator of the Mackintosh collection at the Glasgow School of Art has put together an exhibition in the French harbour town of Port Vendres where Mackintosh spent the last few years of his life. The French, it seems, are anxious to get in on the Mackintosh act.

Back home, Glasgow City Council has deployed Mackintosh-type imagery for its Scotland With Style tourism campaign. Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive is working with the owners of the various Mackintosh “venues” in and around Glasgow to offer a £10 “Mackintosh Ticket” which includes all travel and entry to the buildings. Meanwhile, Glasgow and the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society are lobbying to have the great man’s work declared “world heritage” architecture.

Mackintosh's Reputation

All of which raises a question: was Mackintosh the genius his admirers claim? Opinions vary widely. Architectural historian Gavin Stamp regards him as a “very great designer” but one who was very much of his time and certainly not ahead of it. Stamp says that while other architects (including his fellow Glaswegian and friend James Salmon) were exploring new structural techniques, Mackintosh remained thirled to the arts and crafts. It’s a view shared by Alistair Moffat, one of Mackintosh’s biographers. “He was no engineer,” Moffat says. “He was all about craftsmanship, down to the smallest detail. He asked Walter Blackie, the owner of Hill House, what kind of cutlery he planned to use.” In that respect, it’s useful to compare Mackintosh with his contemporary, the Welsh-American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Where Mackintosh was rooted in art nouveau, Lloyd Wright planned a skyscraper more than a mile high held upright by steel cables and serviced by express elevators rising in glass tubes. Wright foresaw how the motor car would reshape the city, predicted the rise of the suburban shopping mall and dreamed of a low-density community, which he called Broadacre City, criss-crossed by multi-lane highways and fast monorails. While Wright was conjuring up the future, Mackintosh was in France drawing flowers.

Which isn’t to say that Mackintosh was any kind of architectural slouch. His Glasgow School of Art is a masterly piece of design, outside and in. Gavin Stamp regards it as Mackintosh’s finest creation “followed by the Scotland Street School”. Another fan of the building is Beck’s Futures prize-winner Toby Paterson who studied at the art school for four years. “A fantastic place to work,” he says. “The studios have amazing light, better than anywhere else I’ve worked.” And Paterson knows something about architecture. His work is dominated by it. He sees building as “the history of any city, any community”.

Mackintosh's Legacy

The architectural writer David Black agrees that the school of art is a remarkable piece of design. “But I can’t help feeling that all the endless fuss about Mackintosh has overshadowed other, equally deserving Glasgow architects,” he says. “In my view Alexander Thomson – Greek Thomson – was a much better and more important architect. He also did much more to shape the city. But Glasgow has been knocking down Greek Thomson buildings for years. I think Mackintosh was a very good architect who has been over-hyped. Which of course is hardly his fault.”

So Charles Rennie Mackintosh – known to his friends as Toshie – remains an enigma. What we can say about him with certainty is that he was the son of a Highland policeman, born in 1868 and raised and educated in Glasgow. He joined the architectural firm of Honeyman & Keppie, attended the Glasgow School of Art, married a gifted young artist called Margaret Macdonald and rose through the ranks to become a partner before falling out with his fellow partners in 1913. He was possibly a bit of a drunk. In 1914, after failing to drum up any business in Glasgow, he abandoned Scotland for the seaside village of Walberswick in Suffolk.

It was an odd move. Stuart Robertson of the Mackintosh society suggests that Margaret spirited Toshie south “because he was having a bit of a breakdown and she was trying to give him a new lease of life”. Others say he had more or less given up architecture by then. A few suggest that Glasgow had turned against him, that he was a prophet without honour in his own land. Alistair Moffat believes that Mackintosh’s solo architectural career was brought to a halt by the outbreak of the First World War. He adds: “My guess is that if he’d hung on in Glasgow he would have picked up work eventually. But he didn’t, more’s the pity.”

The move down to Walberswick was a bit of a flop. While Mackintosh did some fine botanical watercolours there, in 1915 the locals decided he was a German spy and hauled him before magistrates. He was saved from internment by the lobbying of Lady Norah Mears, the daughter of his friend Patrick Geddes. After some unsuccessful years in London Toshie and Margaret decamped to the south of France. He returned to London in 1928 where he died of cancer of the mouth, aged 60. She followed him to the grave five years later.

The Mackintosh Legacy Today

Like him or loathe him, during the next few weeks that familiar moustache over that Edwardian cravat will loom large across the land.

Midsummer Mackintosh is at House For An Art Lover this Tuesday and Wednesday. Call 0141 353 4770 for tickets. The Restoration Of 78 Derngate is at the Mackintosh House, HunterianArt Gallery, Glasgow, until September 11 27 June 2004.

Hotels in Glasgow

If you're planning to visit Glasgow to explore the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, you'll need a comfortable place to stay. Glasgow offers a wide range of hotels to suit every budget and preference. Here are some of the top hotels in the city:

1. Blythswood Square Hotel

Situated in a historic Georgian building, the Blythswood Square Hotel offers luxury accommodation in the heart of Glasgow. With elegant rooms, a spa, and a rooftop restaurant, it's the perfect choice for those seeking a high-end experience.

2. Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow

Located near the city center, the Radisson Blu Hotel provides modern and stylish rooms with excellent amenities. It also features a rooftop bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the city.

3. CitizenM Glasgow

For the budget-conscious traveler, CitizenM Glasgow offers affordable yet stylish accommodation. The hotel's rooms are equipped with cutting-edge technology, and the communal spaces provide a vibrant and social atmosphere.

4. Hotel du Vin & Bistro Glasgow

Housed in a former iconic whisky bond, Hotel du Vin & Bistro combines luxury with a touch of history. Indulge in their elegant rooms, spa facilities, and a bistro serving delicious Scottish cuisine.

5. Grasshoppers Hotel Glasgow

Located near George Square, Grasshoppers Hotel provides cozy and comfortable rooms with a complimentary minibar and breakfast. It's a charming boutique hotel perfect for those looking for a personalized experience.

Whether you're a fan of Mackintosh or simply exploring the vibrant city of Glasgow, these hotels offer a comfortable and convenient base for your visit.

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