Hill House to reopen under protective giant ‘box’
A Mackintosh-designed house is gearing up to reopen following the construction of a giant “box” to protect its saturated walls from further damage from the elements.
The Hill House in Helensburgh is in need of pro tection after being lashed by rain around 190 days a year for the past 115 years, with the building soaking up water like a sponge.
After more than a century of exposure to the elements water damage is clearly visible in some parts of the house such as the dining room while in some places the harling has become loose.
However, a giant box has now been built around the Hill House, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to pro - tect the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) property and to save the house and its interior from being lost forever.
The structure, designed by architects Carmody Groarke, is a vast semi-transparent shelter around the main house, consisting of a steel frame weighing 165 tonnes swathed in chainmail made up of 32.4 million rings.
It will protect the house from the rain while allowing the building to dry out and let conservators begin their work to rescue the Argyll and Bute home, which was built as a home for Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie in 1904.
Simon Skinner, chief executive officer of NT S, said: “What we’re doing at The Hill House is really what the Trust is about. We’re taking a radical approach to conservation and making sure that what we love about Scotland is here for future generations.”
The box design includes several walkways around the upper levels and over the roof, while NTS has also built a new cafe and visitor centre. The property opens to the public on Friday.
The total cost of rescuing the Hill House will be in the region of £4.5m, £3m of which is being drawn down from the National Trust for Scotland’s reserves.
The remaining £1.5 m is coming from donations to the largest single fundraising campaign undertaken by the charity.
It may take three years for the house to dry out fully before conservation work can begin in earnest.