Great Scot: house for an art lover, Glasgow, Scotland, designed 1901 Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Residential Architect, April, 2004 by Meghan Drueding

like most architects today, Charles Rennie Mackintosh enjoyed winning design awards. He and his wife, artist Margaret Macdonald, labored heavily over their 1901 submission to a German magazine's "House for an Art Lover" design competition. Alas, they labored too long, and their entry was disqualified for missing the magazine's deadline. They won a special prize anyway, but the house remained unbuilt during Mackintosh's lifetime.

In 1989 the Glasgow City Council and Glasgow School of Art joined together to build House for an Art Lover according to the original plans and drawings. Completed in 1996, it's a modern-day interpretation of his view that a building should be a holistic piece of artwork, from the overall floor plan to the smallest detail. His efforts to balance opposing forces in his work are represented in the home's dining room, with its delicate pink rose motifs juxtaposed against the heaviness of the dark wood paneling.

Not only does the house serve as an educational tool regarding Mackintosh and Macdonald's work, but it also functions as a location for corporate events and weddings. And the Glasgow School of Art's Digital Design Studio occupies the attic. For information on visiting the House for an Art Lover, go to www.houseforanartlover.co.uk or call 011.44.141.353.4770.