Scotland Guide
Glasgow
The Glasgow School of Art
Address: 167 Renfrew Street
Opening time: Guided tours April– Sept daily on the hour 10am–4pm; Oct– March Mon– Sat 11am, 2pm & 3pm; booking advised
Price: £6.50
Telephone: 0141/353 4526
Website: www.gsa.ac.uk
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art is widely considered to be the pinnacle of his work. The school is a characteristically angular building of warm sandstone which, due to financial constraints, had to be constructed in two sections (1897–99 and 1907–09). There's a clear change in the architect's style from the earlier severity of the mock-Baronial east wing to the softer lines of the western half.
The only way to see the school is to take one of the student-led guided tours (dependent on curricular activities), which show off key examples of Mackintosh's dynamic and inspired touch and a handful of the most impressive rooms. All over the school, from the roof to the stairwells, Mackintosh's unique touches recur – light Oriental reliefs, tall-backed chairs and stylized Celtic illuminations.