A ‘cage’ to save a Mackintosh masterpiece
● £4m rescue plan revealed for water-damaged historic landmark
One of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s most celebrated buildings is to be given a protective “cage” as part of a £4 million rescue package aimed at securing its future.
The National Trust for Scotland has revealed plans to encase the Hill House, in Helensburgh, in a see-through structure for years to help tackle long-term problems with the amount of water leaking into the building.
It will allow the building – once visited by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – to dry out while conservation teams produce long-term plans to safeguard the structure.
Visitors will also be able to climb stairs and gangways for a “bird’s eye” view of the Glasgow-born architect’s masterpiece once the structure is in place from next autumn.
NTS chiefs said the longterm survival of the building has been under threat for years because its walls have become so “saturated”.
The water ingress has been caused by the experimental building techniques used to create the home for publisher Walter Blackie.
Mackintosh was a rising star of Glasgow’s architecture world when he was recommended to Blackie and his wife Anna for their new home.
The property, described as a building of “international standing” by NTS, allows visitorstore live how it would have looked when it was handed over to the Blackies in 1904.
Mackintosh designed all of the interior rooms, including fittings and furniture, as well as the building’s famously minimalist exterior design.
NTS chief executive Simon Skinner said: “We’re building what amounts to a shield around and above the Hill House to keep wind and rain out and give the building a chance to dry.
“The structure is effectively a porous cage, albeit a beautifully designed one, that still allows some movement of air and a degree of moisture penetration. This is essential to ensure the walls do not dry out too quickly and crumble as a result.
“While the Hill House is being protected from the elements, our conservation and architectural heritage teams can start work to find solutions that will respect the historic and design integrity of the building, meet the standards and obligations required by its listed status and ensure this precious place will survive to inspire future generations.
“The temporary enclosure is see-through, which means the building will still be visible from the outside, despite its respite from the elements after a century of being drenched.”
Andy Groark, of architects Carmody Groark, which has designed the enclosure, said: “We’re very proud to play a part in this pioneering project of theirs and to have a chance to learn at first hand about Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s residential masterpiece.”