The Lighthouse, Glasgow

The Lighthouse in Glasgow is Scotland's Centre for Design and Architecture. It was opened as part of Glasgow's status as the UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999.

The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse, Glasgow is located in Glasgow council area
The Lighthouse, Glasgow
Location within Glasgow council area
General information
CountryScotland
Coordinates55.8597°N 4.2555°W / 55.8597; -4.2555

The Lighthouse is the renamed conversion of the former offices of the Glasgow Herald newspaper. Completed in 1895, it was designed by the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.[1] The centre's vision is to develop the links between design, architecture, and the creative industries, seeing these as interconnected social, educational, economic and cultural issues of concern to everyone.

The Lighthouse today

The Lighthouse Trust went into administration in August 2009. At its peak the Lighthouse Trust employed around 90 staff. Its directors moved on: Nick Barley became director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Following a substantial redundancy programme the remaining staff were transferred to Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) and Glasgow City Council (GCC). The Lighthouse building remains in the ownership of Glasgow City Council, which has made financial provision to meet the costs of operating the centre, re-establishing it as Scotland's National Centre for Architecture and Design.[2]

A Steering Group – made up of representatives of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow School Of Art, Scottish Enterprise, Creative Scotland, and various independent architects and designers – has now implemented a range of permanent and temporary uses within the building including a conference/events programme, catering facilities, temporary and permanent exhibitions, a limited amount of business space, and a design shop (TOJO) on the ground floor. Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) now occupy one of five floors of the building and continue to run a range of programmes on that floor. The remaining staff were awarded extended contracts of employment with GCC.

Views of Glasgow

One of the key features of the Lighthouse is the uninterrupted view over Glasgow's cityscape available from the Mackintosh Tower at the north of the building, which is accessible via a helical staircase from the third floor.

There is also another modern viewing platform at the south of the building, on the sixth floor and is only accessible via lift.[3]

  • View from the Lighthouse
    View from the Lighthouse
  • View from the Lighthouse
    View from the Lighthouse
  • View from the Lighthouse
    View from the Lighthouse
  • View from the Lighthouse
    View from the Lighthouse
View of the helical staircase leading up to the viewing platform at the top of the Lighthouse

City of architecture and design

In 1999, the Clydesdale Bank issued a £20 note to mark Glasgow's celebrations as UK City of Architecture and Design which featured an illustration of the Lighthouse building and the dome of Thomson's Holmwood House on the reverse. The obverse side carried a portrait of Glaswegian architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson.[4]

Group Exhibitions
  • June 25 – July 6, 2014: Young Swiss Public with works by Raphael Zuber, Pascal Flammer, Angela Deuber, Barão Hutter, Lütjens Padmanabhan, Dreier Frenzel and Brockmann Stierlin

See also

References
  1. The Lighthouse: "History", retrieved 30 September 2013
  2. Wilson, Darrell. "The Lighthouse". www.thelighthouse.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  3. "The Lighthouse". www.thelighthouse.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  4. "Banknote Design Features : Clydesdale Bank". The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers. Archived from the original on 30 June 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
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