Hillhouse
Designer: Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1869-1928
1903
Hill House, which Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed for Walter Blackie in 1903, stands with panoramic views of the River Clyde in Helensburgh, Scotland.
The creation of a complete, entirely unique space, central to Mackintosh's architectural vision, defines Hill House. Mackintosh's facade carries on the tradition of brutal, strong, massive forms that echo the Scottish landscape and also the stone used in their construction. The exposed Cliffside upon which Hill House rests and the reference to Scottish baroque castles in the architecture calls to mind Swinburne's work "By the North Sea". A distinct mood is conveyed through the intensely weighted stone forms. The powerful force of nature, the sea and the weather and environment all had a strong impact on the faade of Mackintosh's Hill House. The small windows dotting the thick walls make obvious the need Mackintosh had for Hill House to withstand the test of weather and the passage of time. — Meaghan Kelly
References
Moffat, Alistair, and Colin Baxter. Remembering Charles Rennie Mackintosh: An Illustrated Biography. Lanark: Colin Baxter Photography, 1989.
Billcliff. Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Complete Furniture, Furniture Designs and Interiors. 1986.
Last modified 9 November 2007