Mackintosh Illuminated
Donate todayWill you help us protect the artistic legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald?
Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald were pioneers of the world-renowned ‘Glasgow Style’ – a unique blend of art, design and architecture that helped shape the modern movement at the beginning of the 20th century. Their visionary work has inspired generations and continues to captivate imaginations more than a century later.
Now, their legacy needs your help.
We’re the proud custodians of two of Mackintosh and Macdonald’s most accessible works: The Hill House in Helensburgh and Mackintosh at the Willow in Glasgow.
Mackintosh Illuminated is our ambitious five-year project to preserve, protect and promote the built heritage of Mackintosh and Macdonald, as well as their legacy. Delivered in two stages, the project will:
- Tackle the urgent conservation needs of the Hill House
- Transform public understanding of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald
- Inspire new communities through learning, engagement and community work
Both these historic buildings are outstanding expressions of the couple’s creative genius, but they face real and urgent challenges.
Please, if you can, donate today.
Mackintosh Illuminated
Help us protect the artistic legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald.
Why your support matters
The Hill House
The Hill House was built for Glasgow book publisher Walter Blackie between 1902–04 and is regarded as Mackintosh’s domestic masterpiece. In collaboration with Macdonald, Mackintosh considered almost every facet of this unique building, from the structure itself to the furniture and textiles within.
As a revolutionary designer, Mackintosh incorporated cutting-edge materials and techniques in this architectural triumph. Sadly, his innovation has created the building’s greatest vulnerability: the Portland cement used for the external render has proven susceptible to water ingress over the past 120 years. Further exacerbated by the west coast’s wet climate, the walls of the Hill House became saturated and started to crumble, with water damage threatening the interiors.
To prevent further damage, we erected the Hill House Box in 2019, a protective chainmail shelter that has allowed the walls to dry out. We’ve been granted planning permission to keep the Box until 2028. Over the next three years, our goal is to make the Hill House watertight and restore its world-famous interiors to their former glory.
Mackintosh at the Willow
Dating to 1903, the category A-listed Mackintosh at the Willow is the last remaining original tea rooms building among a number designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald for Glasgow entrepreneur Kate Cranston. These tea rooms were a popular setting for socialising in the early 20th century, especially for women seeking a safe space in which to enjoy refreshments and conversation. Recognised globally as one of Scotland’s most important contributions to modernism, the tea rooms were highly influential in Europe and beyond from the time of their opening.
Saved and then refurbished between 2014–18 by Celia Sinclair Thornqvist MBE and the Willow Tea Rooms Trust, the tea rooms sadly faced challenges due to the cumulative effects of the pandemic and street closures caused by the second Glasgow School of Art fire in 2018. Thanks to our members, donors and external assistance, the National Trust for Scotland secured this significant property for the nation in 2024, preventing its imminent closure. However, continued support is essential to ensure that it remains open, vibrant and accessible to all.
The Mackintosh-Macdonald legacy
Recent years have not been kind to Mackintosh’s legacy. Fires in 2014 and 2018 have left only a shell of the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Other sites designed by Mackintosh, like The Lighthouse and Scotland Street School, have closed. The momentum to celebrate Mackintosh’s work has slowed.
In addition, Margaret Macdonald’s influence is still too often overlooked. As his collaborator and artistic equal, she helped define the Glasgow Style. Mackintosh Illuminated will finally shine a spotlight on her work.
Building community through heritage
Our work isn’t just about heritage – it’s also about people. Glasgow and Helensburgh experience high levels of deprivation; research by the University of Liverpool found that Glasgow is home to 47 of the 100 most deprived housing estates in Britain. Through education programmes, hands-on training and partnerships with organisations like the King’s Trust, we will help individuals access opportunities in hospitality, culture and heritage.
Will you help illuminate their legacy?
Your support will help us ensure these built treasures are not only preserved but reimagined as vibrant, accessible spaces that continue to share the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald with all who visit.
Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to protecting this extraordinary heritage for the future.
We need to bridge a funding gap of over £5m to deliver the project in full.
Please donate today and help illuminate the genius of Mackintosh and Macdonald for generations to come.
Mackintosh Illuminated
Help us protect the artistic legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald.
Featured Places
The Hill House
Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s architectural masterpiece turns art into a home.
Mackintosh at the Willow
The original Willow Tea Rooms Building
Read next
Mackintosh at the Willow joins the Trust
The famous Mackintosh-designed tea rooms on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow have joined the portfolio of special places in our care.
Digging deep into the condition of the Hill House
Research into the condition of the walls at the Hill House allows for cautious optimism, but the clock is still ticking on Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece.
The Great Eight at the Hill House
Rachel Thompson, Visitor Services Manager at the Hill House, tells us about her favourite parts of the property.
Hill House: options for the future
How will the National Trust for Scotland proceed with the conservation of this unique building?